Always for Kids: Thank you Credit Unions
This Friday was supposed to be the day that hundreds of patients, staff and volunteers packed up to head to Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s annual Camp Rainbow. At Camp Rainbow, children and teens between the ages of seven and 18 who have, or have had, cancer or a chronic blood disorder, get to be themselves and escape their toughest challenges. Camp lasts for one week and provides the opportunity for campers to engage in fun experiences and new skills that they may otherwise miss out on due to their illness.
Unfortunately, like most events during these uncertain times, Camp Rainbow had to be canceled due to the threat of COVID-19. It was a heartbreaking but necessary decision since our first priority is keeping our patients and their families safe.
Camp Rainbow, which started in 1985, is funded entirely by donations. One of the program’s biggest supporters is our Credit Unions for Kids partners. Credit Unions for Kids has supported Phoenix Children’s since 1996, raising more than $8.8 million for the hospital. Beginning in 2014, that support has primarily gone to fund Camp Rainbow. Credit Unions do a variety of things to raise money for our kids, and are always thinking of creative ways to do more. They sell icons, organize bake sales, host Miracle Jeans Days – allowing associates to wear jeans to work for a donation to Phoenix Children’s – and activate their members in many other ways.
Our Credit Union friends are some of our patients’ biggest advocates and supporters. Nationally, they are the 5th largest fundraising partner for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
We also want to recognize all that our Credit Unions are currently doing for our community. Amidst the wake of COVID-19, they have remained open to serve customers as essential businesses. To help stop the spread and protect their employees and members, they have limited operations to drive thru and appointment only. We appreciate their sacrifices and have a heightened sense of gratitude and respect for the real threat that staying open has for their employees.
We can’t wait to see what our Credit Unions accomplish next. And don’t worry…we have every intention of bringing camp back next year, bigger and better than ever! It will be held at a new location, able to host 100 additional patients.
Thank you for everything, Credit Unions for Kids!