We Love Happy Hearts
 
A special thank you to Skip Nugent and his Happy Hearts team for a very successful 2016 fundraising season!  They raised just over $150,000 this past calendar year to bring their overall fundraising to nearly $1.3M. Happy Hearts fundraises for Valley Children's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in memory of Skip's daughter, Heather Nugent. Skip and his devoted Happy Hearts team raise money through their icon campaign at Best Buy Market locations in Visalia, Hanford, and Lemoore, from April through May. Later in the year, Happy Hearts participates in a Harley Ride, holds their annual Happy Hearts Day, and then hosts a car show in the summer and a golf tournament in the fall. Thank you to Skip Nugent and his Happy Hearts team for supporting Valley Children's PICU. We are very grateful for all that you do. As we say here, #WeLoveSkip, #WeLoveHappyHearts!
Taco Bell Raises Not $200,000, but $300,00!

A special thank you to our friends at over 100 local Taco Bell locations for their support during their recent fundraising campaign. We were expecting to receive a gift of $188,000. When Mr. Dave Olson came for the check presentation, he surprised us with a generous personal contribution of $112,000 to bring the campaign to a total of $300,000! This incredible donation will go to support the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program at Valley Children's and help pediatric cancer survivors thrive. Thank you to over 100 Taco Bells locations, OCAT, Inc., Paul McDougal Marketing , Mr. Paul McDougal, and Mr. Dave Olson for investing in the lives of our patients!
Thank You

We are so grateful for everyone who participated in the first Derek Carr Touchdown Challenge. As many of you know, Derek suffered a broken fibula in late December that cut his season short. Because of the injury, the Derek Carr Touchdown Challenge campaign is officially concluded. While we are saddened by the premature end of the inaugural Derek Carr Touchdown Challenge, we are so grateful to Derek for his steadfast commitment to support Valley Children's. We wish him a swift recovery and look forward to seeing him back next season as one of the elite quarterbacks in the game today.

We appreciate all of our Touchdown Challenge participants who have generously committed to support this campaign. The inaugural Derek Carr Touchdown Challenge stands to raise more than $100,000 to support the patients and families at Valley Children's. Thank you to our generous supporters and to Derek for his commitment to support patients and families!
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Awards $156,000 Grant

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation generously committed to a grant of $52,000 annually for three years to help fund pharmacy services in the Pulmonology Department. This is the first grant award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. A special thank you to pharmacist lead Nicole Rivera for her extraordinary efforts on the grant application.
 
Generous Patient Help Fund Donation

Since 1987, the Patient Help Fund has been meeting non-medical financial needs for families. Money requested from the fund is used to meet urgent needs for things like cribs, car repairs, specialized strollers, rent assistance, and gas cards.

In 2016, with the help of incredibly generous donors and employees who support the fund, we made life easier for 101 patients, but the need is even greater. A rotating committee comprised of hospital employees manages the fund, keeping a watchful eye on every dollar spent. The committee knows that additional support is needed, but never guaranteed. You can imagine how grateful they were when they received the following letter from an anonymous donor:

"Enclosed, please find our check in the amount of $43,750.00. This donation represents a one-time gift. We are designating this money to assist families that are in need of financial assistance if they are not able to pay for services. It can be used to help them with healthcare, hotel, travel, food, and any other expenses. It is our hope that many families can benefit from this donation."

When we called the generous donors to thank them and explain that we had a fund that supports the very purpose they had expressed in their letter, they were overwhelmed and thankful. Through generous contributions to the Patient Help Fund, family-centered care will always remain a hallmark of Valley Children's Healthcare.
Isnardi Foundation Supports Childhood Cancer Survivorship 

Valley Children's Healthcare is proud to recognize and appreciate the Isnardi Foundation's generous $100,000.00 grant in support of their Childhood Cancer Survivorship Endowment. This vital endowment ensures the sustainability of the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program, a uniquely specialized program that aims to assist pediatric cancer survivors in living long, healthy lives after treatment.
 
Established in Fresno, CA in 2006, the Isnardi Foundation has been generously supporting local non-profit organizations that aim to improve the quality of life and wellbeing for those in their community. Children's healthcare has been a key focus of the Isnardi Foundation, and their most recent investment in the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Endowment at Valley Children's is a continuation of their generosity and continued commitment to the Central Valley.
 
Mr. Peter Tocchini, a member of the Isnardi Foundation's Board of Directors, is proud of their support for this vital program aimed at improving the lives of pediatric cancer survivors.
 
"The Isnardi Foundation is honored to continue our philanthropic support of Valley Children's Healthcare.  We believe that improving the lives of future generations is vital to the health of our community, and your Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program will play a major role in  preventing the lifelong damage faced by childhood cancer survivors ," proclaims Mr. Tocchini.
 

Les Schwab Tires Raises More Than $14,000

Thank you to our 20 local Les Schwab locations for their recent cause marketing campaign. Together, the stores asked their customers for a donation to Valley Children's and raised more than $14,000 during their 10 week campaign. This was Les Schwab's first fundraising campaign for Valley Children's and we are so grateful for their support! Thank you to everyone who participated to make this campaign a success!


Toyota Tundra Giveaway
The Guilds, Valley Children's Healthcare, World Ag Expo and Toyota are partnering to raise funds by giving away a brand new Toyota Tundra . Opportunity drawing t ickets can be purchased for a suggested donation of $5 or $20 for 5 tickets. The winner will be selected at the Toyota exhibit space at the World Ag Expo on February 16, 2017. We hope to see you there!

Highlighted Events

La Tienda Guild Thrift Shop
The Tower District's Art Hop is the first Thursday of every month, and the La Tienda Guild Thrift Shop is open until 8:00pm. Stop in and find a treasure at a reasonable price. All proceeds benefit the Guilds of Valley Children's Hospital. Contact the Guild office at 559-353-7145 for more information.

Contact the Foundation for additional information at 559-353-7100. 

559.353.7100 

 Email 

 http://www.valleychildrens.org/foundation