Children's Hospital L.A. Celebrates 10 Years of Making March Matter
Renowned for its medical and mental health services, therapies, research and specialized care programs for children and teens, Children's Hospital Los Angeles is also unique in that it's the only top 10 children's hospital in the country that provides care regardless of a family's ability to pay for it.CHLA's Children's Fund is designed to help those who aren't covered by insurance or whose insurance may not cover everything a child may need, and it's gotten a significant boost thanks to its annual month-long fundraising campaign known as Make March Matter (makemarchmatter.org) — which has raised over $14 million by partnering with local businesses and national brands since it began in 2016.'Any family that comes to the hospital, regardless of their financial situation, will be treated the same as someone who comes with private insurance because we have the support of the community and the businesses that give us funds to keep providing care,' says Dawn Wilcox, the hospital's Vice President of Development & Corporate Partnerships, who spearheaded the March initiative.
Wilcox says that 73% of CHLA's patients are low income or on Medi-Cal, so a high percentage of patients need this aid, and concentrating their efforts for one month with a branded initiative has had a huge impact. CHLA does fundraising all year long but March is particularly exciting because business owners big and small, and their customers, can get involved.Though the hospital saw some protests recently due to its announcement that it was pausing gender-affirming care in the wake of the Trump administration's anti-trans executive orders in late January, it reversed the decision last month after reviewing what federal judges were ruling on the issue. A commitment from California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to protect its patients was also a factor.Companies like Delta Air Lines and Panda Express have been supporting all of the hospital's work for years, the latter asking customers if they'd like to round up their food totals with the difference going to CHLA (a painless way to garner donations).But smaller businesses are making a difference, too. Randy's Donuts, Porto's Bakery and Alfred Coffee for example, have their own promotions for the month. There's a full schedule of events — including a Jimmy Choo shopping party, an L.A. Kings game and a Dairy Queen 'Dip it for Kids' gathering to raise money and amplify the cause.
There's also a big celebrity contingent, and Meghan Markle, Natalie Portman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Pine and Demi Lovato are just a few of the notables who lend their names, increase awareness on social media and visit pediatric patients at the hospital during the drive. 'Everybody comes together, whether it's donating blood or getting a coffee or running the L.A. Marathon,' says Wilcox. 'All of these things come back into CHLA to support our mission offering the services and programs for children and families that need us.'
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