We’ve all seen them. Those cheerful red and yellow paper balloons that line the walls of some stores. When you’re paying at the grocery store or the drugstore, the cashier might ask if you’d like to buy one to help Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
But did you know that in Charlottesville and in much of the Shenandoah Valley, that dollar goes straight back to the UVA Children’s Hospital?
“When I talk to people about easy ways to help the children’s hospital, a lot of them don’t realize that the money from those balloons goes to us,” says Rachel Yeager, UVA’s Children’s Miracle Network program coordinator. “They assume it goes into a corporate fund somewhere, but that’s not the case.”
The balloon money goes to help children and their families during their hospital stay. Many families travel from outside the area for treatment and are without the comforts of home for days or weeks. Because of the balloon money and other donations, we can give them:
- Clothing
- Restaurant gift cards
- Books and toys
The money also supports the hospital’s lifesaving research and patient care.
How You Can Help
Local Dairy Queens are selling balloons through August 31. You can buy a balloon to help UVA Children’s Hospital at these Charlottesville and Harrisonburg locations:
- 1777 Fortune Park Rd., Charlottesville
- 1248 Crozet Ave., Charlottesville
- 78 S. Carlton St., Harrisonburg
- 1751 Virginia Ave. Ste A, Harrisonburg
These Dairy Queens will give the Children’s Hospital even more help on Miracle Treat Day on August 11. At least $1 from each Blizzard treat sold that day will be donated to us.
This fall, area Rite Aids and Food Lions will also help us. Food Lion gets into the spirit of the season by selling paper footballs, also $1, from September 7-20. Rite Aid will sell balloons, but the dates for this haven’t been decided yet. Like us on Facebook to get updates on this and other ways to help the children’s hospital.