LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Children’s Miracle Network has raised a record $2,050,074 for UMC Children’s Hospital this year. The total came after a year of fundraising and a day full of donations during the 43rd Annual Children’s Miracle Network Celebration Broadcast.
Dr. Brian Payne, chief medical officer at UMC Children’s, said the impact of the donations is on display during the broadcast.
“You saw the kids and the parents playing with the blocks and doing things, you recognized their family is whole,” Payne said. “And without that support and without that help, they’d be missing something. That’d be a devastating loss to their family. And it’s all because of the miracles and support that our community gives to give us everything we need to care for these kids in a beautiful way.”
Fundraising happens year-round
Donations to the hospital happen throughout the year through multiple channels, including drive-thru locations such as Panda Express and Dairy Queen, grocery stores like Costco Wholesale, United Supermarkets, Walmart and Sam’s Club, and schools such as Lubbock Cooper’s East Elementary.
Volunteer groups including the Lubbock Lions Club and Lubbock Monterey AMBUCS also contribute, along with area businesses including Parkhill, Take 5 Oil Change, J. Hoffman’s, Glasheen, Valles & Inderman, and CityBank.
UMC employees also support the fundraising effort, including UMC Physicians, the NICU at UMC Children’s Hospital, Pediatrics and PICU staff, the UMC Auxiliary and the UMC Spirit team.
“We’re able to sell T-shirts and tote bags, the chili cook-off is a great success for us that we’re able to raise CMN dollars through that,” NICU nurse Kelsie Hatchett said.
UMC’s 30-Minute Club also contributes through payroll donations.
CMN Director Sarah Simmons says all funds raised go directly to UMC Children’s Hospital.
“We’re proud to say that and to know that when we raise those dollars, we’re taking it right back to the Children’s Hospital for pediatric services and support programs, life-saving equipment, and whatever the hospital needs, that’s what we’re working to provide,” Simmons said.
This year’s donations will fund transport incubators for the hospital’s NICU.
“Those new incubators, we actually needed two of them,” Payne said. “They’re both about to expire with how long they last. And so this gives us that funding we need to really get these kids who are most critically sick and the smallest that we can bring the ICU to them and bring them back here safely where they can get the best care possible.”
Donations support patients including burn survivor Tak, premature babies Eleanor and Thomas, and cancer warrior Zackary.
“Because they’ve done so much for us and it just felt right to be able to give back in whatever way we could. And if by sharing our story with others would help raise money for the hospital, we would be more than happy to do that,” Maria Riojas, Thomas’ mom, said.
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