Our Mission
At Connecticut Children’s Medical Center Foundation, our mission is to support Connecticut Children’s. By bringing together patient families, donors, community members, philanthropic partners and others to raise the financial resources needed to invest in people, research, technology and state-of-the-art equipment, we can support Connecticut Children’s in providing the care our children need and deserve.
OUR IMPACT
100,000+ Children
100,000+
Each year, more than 100,000 children receive care made possible by contributions to the Greatest Need―Children's Fund.
Annual Pediatric Transports
532
Patients in need of critical-care were transported to Connecticut Children's from regional hospitals. Of that, more than 300 were NICU babies.
ED Visits
59,485
Patient visits to the emergency department, which equate to 163 per day. No one is turned away due to an inability to pay.
Upcoming Event w/Image
Upcoming Events
Extra Life is a year-round fundraising initiative that culminates in a 24-hour gaming challenge, where participants can play from the comfort of their own homes while supporting their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Last year, Extra Life raised more than $114,000 for Connecticut Children’s.
The concept of Extra Life is that people pledge their support to the gamers to play any games they wish for an allotted amount of time. Gamers can participate in video, tabletop, fantasy and other games. Participants are encouraged to participate during the 24-hour National Game Day, which will be on November 2 this year, but they are able to do this any day of the year for any amount of time they’d like. Fundraising begins on January 1, 2019 and ends on December 31, 2019.
To get involved or request more information on this year’s Extra Life activities for Connecticut Children’s please contact, Bianca Fiore.
Join our Facebook group to receive notifications about upcoming events!
Gamers Help Sick Kids Heal
While playing games may seem like an unlikely way to heal children, that’s what tens of thousands of people of all ages are doing as part of the growing Extra Life gaming culture to support patient care at local children’s hospitals.
In Connecticut, more than $97,000 has been raised so far this year through board games, online video games, card games, lawn sports and other gaming activities to benefit patients at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.
Proceeds from Extra Life gaming marathons—some as long as 24 hours in length—help kids like Emma Duffin who come to Connecticut Children’s for life-saving care.
Fun & Games for All Ages . . . a Father’s Way of Giving Back
When it comes to playing games for charity, Albert Dzurka of Fairfield is a pro. An Information Technology professional on Wall Street, Dzurka, 43, is also a broadcaster, podcaster and gaming enthusiast who heads the Extra Life Team known as “The Player’s Club.” Members of his team raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, of which Connecticut Children’s is his hospital of choice.
“Connecticut Children’s has done so much for me and my family,” said Dzurka, a father of three whose first encounter with the Medical Center was eight years ago when his son, Dylan, was 15 and was taken there by ambulance following a downhill razor-scooter accident.
Putting the “Extra” into Extra Life
It was 2014, and Russell Elfont was in eighth grade at the Wooster School in Danbury when he first heard about the Extra Life program, in which participants play games of all kinds to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals—in Russell’s case, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.
“It started when my mom told me about it, and I didn’t believe her,” Russell says. “I said, ‘This isn’t a real thing, is it?’ Then I went and looked at the website, and I said, ‘Oh my God; this is actually a thing!’” For many Extra Life groups around the country, the fundraising culminates in a 24-hour gaming marathon in November, and it was this that so surprised Russell.
Extra Life Gamers Play So Others Can Win
“This must be the easiest fundraising plan in the world; you don’t even have to get up off the couch if you don’t want to,” says Tracy Degrazia. She’s talking about the Extra Life program, in which gamers — people who play video games, board games, phone games, card games and other forms of competitive play — use their passion to raise money for children’s hospitals.
Not that Tracy would know much about staying on the couch. Together with Tim Vincens and Harrison Guzman, she is part of the Extra Life Hartford Guild. The Guild’s purpose is to promote the program in the gaming community, to be cheerleaders and recruit new participants. And Tim, Harrison and Tracy have done that in spades.
Check out who is gaming!
Extra Life unites thousands of gamers around the world to play games in support of their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Since its inception in 2008, Extra Life has raised more than $30 million for sick and injured kids. Sign up today and dedicate a day of play for kids in your community!
Step right up and join us for Connecticut Children’s signature fundraising event!
We are pleased to share that, due to an overwhelming response from our generous supporters, our 2019 Gala is SOLD OUT! Time is still left for YOU to show your support! Make a gift to Bid for Kids in support of Nursing or participate in the online auction Friday, October 25 through Saturday, November 2.
Thanks to our donors, sponsors and Honorary Committee members for their support in making 2019 a record-breaking year for Gala attendance. We expect 1,100 guests and are confirming that all of our sponsors and Honorary Committee members intend to fill their tables. Unused tables/seats will be offered to wait-listed guests on a first come/first served basis. If you’d like to be part of the magic please click here to be added to our wait list.
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Online Silent Auction
Exclusive Packages to Please the Most Refined Tastes. Silent auction bidding begins October 25, 2019 on fabulous excursions, private dinners, sporting events and art. Over 150 items include wine and brewery tastings, books, massages, overflowing baskets and travel packages. Prepare for the upcoming holidays with autographed items, theatre and dinner packages and so much more. Auction items range from exotic vacation getaways to items guaranteed to delight and surprise. So, tell your friends, family, community. Don’t miss out!
The 2019 Gala Silent Auction will be open October 25, 2019.
Experience the THRILL with more than 1,000 Runners!
Lace up for Connecticut Children’s largest 5K road race event. The 10th Annual Road Race, walk and Kids’ K is perfect for seasoned runners and bumbling toddlers alike! The professionally-run 5K circles the historic Town Green, and the Kids K fun run has 4 age categories with great LEGO prizes. You’ll have so much fun while supporting vital cancer research and family support at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, giving kids and families hope!
Why not set up a fundraising team?
Jamie Knotts lost her battle with a rare liver cancer at 5 1/2 months old in 2010. This race not only honors Jamie, but also the doctors, nurses and staff at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center who are living angels to the children and families who are currently struggling with cancer and blood disorders.
Your participation will ensure a brighter future for children all over Connecticut, who come to Connecticut Children’s for state-of-the-art care. The race for a cure for many forms of cancer and blood disorders continues. The proceeds equally support the Cancer Clinical Trials Program, which helps to offer the latest advancements in treatment, and the Family Assistance Fund, because the last thing a parent needs to worry about when their child is diagnosed with cancer is how to pay the bills.
Honoring Jamie’s Memory
Jamie Knotts was only 5 months old when she passed away from a rare liver cancer. Over the past nine years, Jamie’s Run has raised more than $430,000 for Cancer Clinical Trials and Family Support Programs at Connecticut Children’s in her name.
Your participation supports leading-edge cancer research, providing essential resources necessary to find a cure. Beyond the medicine, emotional and financial assistance is crucial to families fighting this disease. The diagnosis of a child with cancer is devastating. Until a cure is found, the mission of Jamie’s Run is to care for the whole family as they move through treatment and beyond.
Individual and team fundraising is available at jamiesrun.org.
Calling all Schools and Businesses!
Give $1 – Wear your PJs – Support Kids with Cancer
PJ Day for the Kids kicks off its 9th annual event with a mission to not only raise money, but to honor the brave kids fighting cancer and serious illnesses at Connecticut Children’s. Join us as students and businesses across Connecticut wear their PJs for the kids. Coordinate a PJ Day for your school or business now by clicking here.
Since 2011, thousands of children in Connecticut have worn their PJs to school and, simultaneously, have raised more than $630,000 in support of kids at Connecticut Children’s. Each year, PJ Day has inspired more and more schools and businesses across the state of Connecticut to participate. Won’t you join them?
Help kids like Olive
Olive is a sweetheart…and a fighter.
At less than 24 hours old, five-pound, 12-ounce Olive arrived at Connecticut Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Her initial diagnoses were terrifying. Olive was at risk for respiratory failure and needed heart surgery. While cradled in her mother’s arms, the unthinkable happened.