As we reflect back on the Believe Campaign, many people have made such a difference: from children raising funds at a lemonade stand to families naming patient rooms to corporations and foundations making large grants. A special thank you goes to our friends at The Wasie Foundation who made two challenge gifts. The first gift of $3 million raised the level of giving early in the Campaign; the second gift of $2.5 million challenged donors at all levels to join in at the end. Not only did the challenges make a tremendous difference, it encourage many others to make gifts both large and small.
The new Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital opened its doors to patients and their families in July 2011. The only freestanding children’s hospital in Broward County, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is a four-story, 180,000- square-foot facility that showcases an overall Power of Play theme with each floor displaying themes of Sports, Arts, Games or Dreams. Yet beyond architecture and aesthetics, it’s a world of medical expertise that treats a range of maladies from oncology to pediatric heart and neurological diseases. It is connected to Memorial Regional Hospital via an elevated walkway with a total of 204 licensed beds, six pediatric operating rooms, radiology services and an entire floor dedicated to pediatric oncology care.
In addition, a Get Well Network (also funded by donors) provides access to television, movies, video games, the Internet and educational programs to each room, while the room service model allows patients and families to order food anytime of the day. Amenities aside, the new hospital has also instituted environmentally friendly strategies intended to improve performance and efficiency in use of water, energy and other resources, and the hospital is applying for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
Naming Opportunities
Thanks to donors like you, the Believe Capital Campaign surpassed its $36 million goal and raised over $38,600,000! For information on naming opportunities still available or on how to make a gift, please contact the Foundation office at 954-265-3454. Believe, you can make a difference!