Hello, I'm Fred Scarborough, President of the Arkansas Children's Foundation and I'm thrilled
to be with you as we celebrate the culmination of Arkansas Children's Campaign for a Healthier
Tomorrow. This past year has been challenging in many ways including the inability to gather. I'm
incredibly grateful to you our closest supporters, volunteers and friends who never wavered
in your support. From supporting the COVID-19 emergency fund and annual fundraising events
in virtual platforms to thousands of supporters who collected and donated masks to help take care
of the patients and families we serve – thank you. When the Campaign for a Healthier Tomorrow
began more than six years ago, Arkansas Children's set out to fundamentally transform the way health
care was delivered to the children of Arkansas and beyond and to improve child health as the ultimate
outcome. And as an organization, we made a bold promise: unprecedented child health. Defined and
delivered. A bold promise requires bold support. Because of you we've made incredible progress.
From a single site hospital, we've evolved into the state's only pediatric health system, with two
hospitals, a research institute, a philanthropic foundation, regional clinics and alliances,
telemedicine and statewide outreach programs. And today, thanks to your investment in child health,
we blanket the state with services — offering programs in all 75 Arkansas counties.
A few examples of progress include the opening of Arkansas Children's Northwest, the region's first
and only pediatric hospital serving the more than 200,000 children in Northwest Arkansas.
The opening of the state's only comprehensive child maltreatment center, the David M. Clark
Center for Safe and Healthy Children to address the systemic issues of child abuse.
The renovation of the Arkansas Children's Hospital Kim and Chris Fowler Center in Jonesboro, where we
more than doubled the clinic space and are delivering more specialty care close to home
to the children of Northeast Arkansas. The formation of the Arkansas Children's Hospital
Nursery Alliance to share best practices and advance neonatal care and nursery statewide
for the purposes of affecting infant mortality. Currently, the nursery alliance members include
Arkansas Children's Hospital, Conway Regional Health System, Ashley County Medical Center,
Jefferson Regional, Medical Center of South Arkansas and CHI St. Vincent in Hot Springs. And
we're opening Arkansas Children's Hospital Pine Bluff Clinic in association with Jefferson
Regional in mid-July, delivering right-sized pediatric care to the children of Pine Bluff,
Jefferson County and Southeast Arkansas. Thank you for helping make this progress possible
and for the historic level of support during this campaign. Nearly 100,000 donors from all
75 counties in r, and all 50 states, joined us in the pursuit of a healthier tomorrow.
Now, I'd like to welcome Arkansas Children's Foundation board member, Mandy Macke. Thans, Fred.
Hi, I'm Mandy Macke and I'm joining you today from Arkansas Children's Northwest, our region's first
and only children's hospital. Because of you, the more than 200,000 children in our community
now receive care close to home here at Arkansas Children's Northwest.
The hospital opened in March 2018 and annually sees over 65,000 outpatient visits and over
26,000 emergency department visits. And we continue the work of arkansas children's
northwest being right-sized to meet the needs of our community now, and in the future. As the
needs of the community grow, we are prepared to respond with expanded services and programs
all aimed delivering more care close to home for children like my friend, Tori Johnson.
Tori was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer at just nine months old
and was airlifted to Arkansas Children's. After a life-saving operation at Arkansas
Children's Hospital to remove the brain tumor, six months of high-dose rounds of chemotherapy,
three stem cell transplants and six weeks of radiation,
Tori is in remission and shows no signs of cancer. She's an energetic first grader who is a wonderful
spokesman for Arkansas Children's Northwest and a huge Razorback fan. Because of your support,
Tori receives follow-up care with specialists right here at Arkansas Children's Northwest,
saving her family countless hours of travel. Thanks for sharing Tori's incredible story, Mandy.
I'm Beverly Morrow and I serve as a board member of the Arkansas Children's Foundation
and as the chairman of the Arkansas Children's Hospital Board of Directors. And I'm Jake Nabholz,
the vice chair of Arkansas Children's Foundation Board of Directors. Beverly and I are thrilled to
be here celebrating with you. With your help, we've expanded our statewide network of care
through regional clinics, strategic partnerships and alliances. And today, Jake and I wanted to
highlight our three regional clinics: the new Arkansas Children's Hospital Pine Bluff Clinic
in association with Jefferson Regional, the Arkansas Children's Hospital Kim and Chris
Fowler Center in Jonesboro, and the Southwest Little Rock Clinic. In just a few short days,
the Arkansas Children's Hospital Pine Bluff Clinic in association with Jefferson Regional
opens and will deliver right-sized pediatric care to the children of Southeast Arkansas,
as well as the tiniest patients in the nursery at Jefferson Regional. In Northeast Arkansas,
the newly renovated ACH Kim and Chris Fowler Center in Jonesboro delivers specialty care
close to home for more than 99,000 children in the region. And the ACH Southwest Little Rock Clinic
expands access to primary care for thousands of children who live nearby, many of them
African-American or Hispanic families. Because of you, we are paving the way for a healthier
tomorrow for all of Arkansas. Thank you. Now, I'd like to introduce our fellow board member, Charlie
Whiteside. Thank you. I'm Charlie Whiteside and my wife Kathy and I served as one of the Campaign
for a Healthier Tomorrow chairs alongside Cassie and Jason LaFrance. Your overwhelming
support for the campaign is helping ensure a happy and healthy tomorrow for all children.
As part of this campaign, we received more than $33.5 million dollars in future gifts.
Many of these gifts were through wills, trusts and other planned gifts. Others were
investments in existing or new endowments. Arkansas Children's now proudly celebrates
40 endowed chairs and 329 individually endowed funds in which the principal gift amount is
never touched and the annual earnings from these funds help Arkansas Children's recruit and retain
national talent to our team and fuel clinic and strategic growth, like:
providing innovative solutions through telehealth, which has been crucial during this pandemic.
And investing in cutting-edge research led by Arkansas Children's Research Institute team.
Quite simply, your support plays a vital role in ensuring the future strength of Arkansas
Children's for generations to come. On behalf of the Arkansas Children's Foundation Board and
all of the Arkansas Children's governing boards, thank you for your support during this campaign.
Now, I'd like to introduce you to our President and CEO, Marcy Doderer. Thank you. I'm thrilled
to have the honor today at revealing the total for the Campaign for a Healthier Tomorrow.
Philanthropy drives innovation. It advances clinical excellence and it improves quality
of care. Philanthropy fuels the journey of a healthier tomorrow for the children in our state.
At the public campaign launch back in 2019, we traveled around the state
and I was joined by different patient ambassadors at each campaign stop. I invited a very special
friend to join me for this exciting moment, one of our ambassadors, Miss Abigail Wells. While I
wish each of those ambassadors could be here with me today, Abigail represents the many children
we serve across the state. Thank you for being here today, Abigail. I'll let you do the honors.
Please tell us what we've accomplished together. Thanks, Marcy. I am so excited. Together,
nearly 100,000 donors from all 75 counties in Arkansas, and incredibly from all 50 states,
we raised more than $274 million dollars in support of the Arkansas Children's mission.
That's incredible! Thank you to all the individuals, foundations and corporations,
partners and volunteers across the state. You are truly making a difference in the lives of
children. Abigail, let's take a moment to recognize some of our dedicated supporters.
Thank you to our leadership donors who gave transformational gifts of $10 million or more
in support of this campaign: George and Evans Families. J.B. Hunt Transportation Services. J.D.
and Amboline Lyman. Tyson Family and Tyson Foods, Inc. And Walmart and Sam's Club. Thank you to our
leadership donors who generously committed gifts of $8 million or more in support of this campaign:
Arkansas Children's Hospital Auxiliary and the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation.
Thank you to our leadership donors who gave $5 million or more in support of this campaign:
Robert M. Anderson Revocable Trust. Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Circle of Friends.
Dolores E. Peterson Trust. Will Golf 4 Kids and Color of Hope. And our two anonymous donors.
Thank you to our generous donors who gave $2.5 million or more: Robert R. Brown, Jr. and the
Family of Joyce B. Brown. Jackson G. Byrd and Ella Francis Byrd Estate. Clark Family Foundation.
Dee Ann and Don English. Log A Load for Kids. And the Walton Family Foundation.
And thank you to these champions for children who gave $1 million or more.
Thank you to the more than 75 partners through Children's Miracle Network Hospitals
and our corporate partnership program who helped fundraise through things like round-up campaigns,
employee giving campaigns and percentage of sales promotions. And finally,
thank you to our dedicated fundraising volunteers who invited Arkansas across the state to ride with
us, bike with us, and gather with us in the name of children. Thank you,
Abigail. And thank you to all the champions for children who made this campaign a success.
I'll pass things back to Fred. Thanks Abigail and Marcy. And thanks to our board members
who joined us today: Mandy Macke, Beverly Morrow, Jake Nabholz and Charlie Whiteside.
You know I think it bears repeating that nearly 100,000 donors invested over $274 million dollars
in now gifts and future gifts. Because of you, the Campaign for a Healthier
Tomorrow closes as a tremendous success. Your support advances Arkansas Children's mission
and helps champion children by making them better today and healthier tomorrow. Thank you.