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Children’s Miracle Network at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital announces record fundraising totals

HERSHEY, PAChildren’s Miracle Network (CMN) at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital raised a record-breaking $6.2 million in 2020. The team announced the total on April 21 as part of Children’s Hospitals Week, a fundraising and awareness event celebrated by 170 CMN Hospitals in the U.S. and Canada.

In recognition of this fundraising success, the CMN Hershey program earned three top 2020 awards out of the 53 hospitals that make up the medium-sized CMN hospitals market: highest fundraising ($6.2 million), highest per capita for CMN Hershey’s 10-county region ($3.21) and highest percent increase (29%) from 2019. Current and former Penn State Health Children’s Hospital patients revealed the top 2020 fundraising partners in this video.

The GIANT Company, CMN Hershey’s leading corporate partner, contributed to the 29% increase by making a $1 million commitment in 2020 in addition to their annual in-store and employee fundraising efforts.

“I’m simply in awe of this community’s incredible generosity, especially during a challenging year when many fundraising events were postponed or canceled,” said Deborah Berini, president of Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. “Individuals and businesses continued to find creative and virtual ways to fundraise. On behalf of our pediatric patients and their families, I want to thank all of our donors for never giving up. Their gifts give our kids miracles.”

CMN Hershey received an additional $120,361 during Children’s Hospitals Week through sponsorships and online gifts to support 240 families through its patient assistance endowment. This fund helps families who face a financial burden in addition to their child’s medical diagnosis by providing meal, gas, and travel vouchers and assisting with the cost of medications and medical devices. The Durnin family from Hershey knows firsthand the value of this fund, as it helped cover the cost of 8-year-old Lucia’s diabetes supplies. Lucia shared her story during Children’s Hospitals Week.

“Thanks to our generous community, families like Lucia’s do not have to face their journeys alone,” said Danielle Sunday, director of Children’s Miracle Network. “We are deeply grateful to all who have supported this new endowment that will help families now and in the future.” To learn more or give to Children’s Miracle Network, visit CMNHershey.org.

About Children’s Miracle Network at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is a non-profit organization that has affiliations with 170 children’s hospitals including Penn State Health Children’s Hospital. Gifts raised locally through Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) fund equipment, patient programs, and pediatric research at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, which is the only children’s hospital between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia fully equipped to treat the most severely ill children of central Pennsylvania. CMN’s mission to save kids’ lives and improve their quality of care is part of “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” a fundraising campaign focused on three key imperatives: Open Doors, Create Transformative Experiences and Impact the World.