Walmart tops fundraising numbers again for Riley Hospital for Children

Walmart and Sam’s Clubs across Indiana raised more than $1.4 million for Riley Hospital for Children in 2016, topping last year’s record-setting fundraising totals. The Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals campaign asked customers to support kids by making a donation of $1 or more to raise money for Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health, Indiana’s only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.

“Riley Hospital is thankful to Walmart and Sam’s Club associates and customers for their generous support of kids,” said Jim Austin, Chief Marketing and Corporate Partnerships Officer at Riley Children’s Foundation. “Because of their generosity, Riley Hospital received the largest campaign donation of any CMN Hospital. Ongoing support from Walmart and Sam’s Club helps Riley fulfill our mission of improving the health and well-being of kids.”

In 2016, Walmart and Sam’s Club raised a record-topping $1,422,399 for Riley Hospital.  A majority of the money was raised during the 6 week Children’s Miracle Network campaign. Walmart and Sam’s Club stores asked customers and members to add a “Miracle Balloon” donations at checkout, with all proceeds going directly to Riley Hospital, helping children in Hoosier communities. Funds collected—often one dollar at a time—are necessary for hospitals to provide the best care for kids. In 2015, Walmart and Sam’s Club raised $1,401,182.

“Walmart and our associates believe deeply in the amazing work done by Riley Hospital for Children here in our state,” said Alice Mainor, Walmart VP and Regional General Manager.  “For 30 years, our Hoosier associates and customers have continued to raise money for Riley and I hope that overwhelming support continues for the next 30 as well.”

Walmart associates play a key role in supporting their local children’s hospitals. In addition to the countless hours volunteered at CMN Hospitals, Walmart and Sam’s Club associates across the US and Canada raised more than $63 million dollars in 2016 through fundraisers and register donations.

Every donation stays local to help Riley kids—like Reagan DeLoach of Newburgh, Ind. Reagan is a healthy little girl thanks to the care she receives from Riley Hospital for Children. When Reagan was two months old, she was referred to Riley Hospital and diagnosed with sagittal synostosis, a condition where a suture on her skull closed too quickly, causing her head to appear narrow from side to side and lengthened from front to back. Laurie Ackerman, M.D., a Riley Pediatric Neurosurgeon, performed surgery to correct Reagan’s condition. Now, Reagan is healthy and returns to Riley for annual check-ups.

Throughout Reagan’s diagnosis, surgery and recovery, Seth DeLoach, Reagan’s father, relied heavily on the support from his fellow associates at Walmart. Last year, the DeLoach family was featured in Walmart stores across the country as a part of Walmart and Sam’s Club’s fundraising efforts for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Since 1987, Walmart and Sam’s Club fundraising across North America has provided more than $750 million for pediatric care.

About Riley Children’s Foundation

Riley Children’s Foundation is the fundraising arm of Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health and the founding organization that opened Riley Hospital in 1924. Today Riley Hospital is recognized as one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation and is the only comprehensive children’s research hospital in the state of Indiana. Our mission is to raise funds statewide to support Riley Hospital funding priorities:  pediatric research and patient care, maternity and newborn health and family support programs. Riley Children’s Foundation also funds Camp Riley and the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home and Billie Lou Wood Visitor Center. For more information, visit RileyKids.org.

About Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® raises funds and awareness for 170 member hospitals that provide 32 million treatments each year to kids across the U.S. and Canada. Donations stay local to fund critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment and charitable care.

Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® has raised more than $5 billion, most of it $1 at a time through the charity’s Miracle Balloon icon. Its various fundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit’s mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible.

Find out why children’s hospitals need community support, identify your member hospital and learn how you can Put Your Money Where the Miracles Are, at: CMNHospitals.org and facebook.com/CMNHospitals.

About Walmart in Indiana

In Indiana we serve customers at 130 retail units and online through Walmart Grocery Pickup, Walmart.com and Jet.com. We are proud to employ 39,667 associates in Indiana. Walmart supports local businesses, spending $962 million with Hoosier suppliers in FYE16, which supported 59,632 supplier jobs. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are active in Indiana communities where we live and work and invest in communities through local grants, customer engagement and associate volunteer efforts.  In FYE16, we contributed more than $33.8 million in cash and in-kind donations to local nonprofits in Indiana and our local associates volunteered more than 46,000 hours with local causes. Learn more at the Walmart Today blog, and our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram channels.