ʻChange Banditsʼ to round up spare change for sick keiki
HONOLULU (July 31, 2008)—Yee haw! The Kapiʻolani Childrenʼs Miracle Network is kicking off its annual Radiothon for KIDS! by forming a statewide posse of volunteer “Change Bandits” for Hawaiʻiʼs critically ill children. Change Bandits is a powerful grassroots fund raising effort designed to help turn spare change into big miracles for children treated at Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children. By collecting change—and dollars and checks—from friends and family, Change Bandits will help to ensure that Hawaiʻiʼs sick and injured kids have access to the finest medical care when they need it.
The Change Bandits campaign runs August 1 – 20 with a special event on August 13 at Tamarind Park, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Partners include Clear Channel radio stations KSSK, Star 101.9, Island 98.5 and Hot 93.9, as well as the Honolulu Star Bulletin, MidWeek and Big City Diner. Change Bandits wraps just before the annual Kapiʻolani Childrenʼs Miracle Network Radiothon for KIDS!, broadcast live on KSSK Radio from
Kapiʻolani Medical Centerʼs cafeteria August 21-22.
To become a Change Bandit, log on to www.kapiolani.org and click on the Change Bandits icon, call the Kapiʻolani Health Foundation at 951-KIDS, or visit the websites of any of the participating Clear Channel radio stations and complete the registration form. Kapiʻolani Childrenʼs Miracle Network will “deputize” Change Bandits with a collection kit including a banditʼs mask, badge, bandanna, bag and WANTED poster
to alert folks to our mission. Next step: get out there and “seize” all the loose change you can!
Thanks to the programʼs turnkey nature, Change Bandits gives everyone, from a small child to an entire corporate office, the chance to raise money for the Kapiʻolani Childrenʼs Miracle Network. Stacey Acma, director of the Kapiʻolani Childrenʼs Miracle Network, said, “We invite everyone to join the posse and become a Change Bandit. This kind of grassroots effort reminds all of us that every little bit counts. Together we can make a big difference for the children of Hawaiʻi.”
One hundred percent of all donations to Change Bandits, the Radiothon for KIDS! and Kapiʻolani Childrenʼs Miracle Network stay in Hawaiʻi to benefit critically ill and injured children.
During the 2-day Radiothon for KIDS! event, former and current Kapiʻolani Medical Center pediatric patients, and the dedicated physicians, nurses and other health care professionals who care for them, will share their stories live from a temporary studio in the hospitalʼs cafeteria. Listeners can make a donation by calling (808) 951-KIDS or going online at www.kapiolani.org.
About Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children
Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children is Hawaiʻiʼs only Pediatric Specialty Hospital and High Risk Maternity Center. With 197 beds and 90 bassinets, Kapiʻolani Medical Center is a tertiary care medical teaching and research facility specializing in the care and treatment of women, infants and children. Pediatric services for children throughout the state and Pacific Region include intensive care for infants and
children, 24-hour emergency care and pediatric air transport. It is one of only 170 designated Childrenʼs Miracle Network hospitals in North America.
About Kapiʻolani Health Foundation
The compassionate and quality care provided by the physicians, nurses and staff at Kapiʻolani Medical Center (and its affiliate Pali Momi Medical Center) is supported in numerous ways by the Kapiʻolani Health Foundation.
· PATIENT SERVICES & PROGRAMS: Community support helps provide comprehensive patient services and programs. Kapiʻolaniʼs family-centered approach to healthcare creates an environment in which women, children and their families can heal together.
· CAPITAL: Keeping Hawaiʻiʼs only childrenʼs hospital and its medical equipment up to date is critical to providing quality care in the 21st century. Kapiʻolani Medical Center was built in the 1970s but since then, the science and technology of medicine has improved exponentially. There is an urgent need to renovate and expand the hospital. Philanthropic support of capital improvements at Kapiʻolani Medical Center will remain a focal effort for the Kapiʻolani Health Foundation in the coming years.
· RESEARCH & EDUCATION: Community support helps fund vital health education and community outreach programs. It also supports critical research in the areas of prenatal, neonatal and childrenʼs medicine so outcomes are improved and new treatments are discovered.
· UNCOMPENSATED CARE: As a mission-driven hospital, Kapiʻolani Medical Center provides quality care to all who need it, regardless of their ability to pay. Community support helps carry out this important mission.
About Hawaiʻi Pacific Health
Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children, Pali Momi Medical Center, Straub Clinic & Hospital and Wilcox Memorial Hospital are the four hospital affiliates of the nonprofit healthcare organization Hawaiʻi Pacific Health. Its mission is to provide the highest quality healthcare and services to the people of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Region. Hawaiʻi Pacific Health administrative offices are located at 55 Merchant Street, 26th Floor, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96813. Telephone: (808) 535-7100.
About Childrenʼs Miracle Network
Childrenʼs Miracle Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for childrenʼs hospitals across North America. Each year the 170 Childrenʼs Miracle Network hospitals provide the finest medical care, life-saving research and preventative education to help millions of kids overcome diseases and injuries of every kind. To learn more go to
www.childrensmiraclenetwork.org.