Grand Opening of CHOC's CU4Kids' Community Engagement Center

Representatives from various Southern California credit unions as well as CU Direct joined officials from Children’s Hospital Orange County (CHOC) and its foundation to celebrate the grand opening of the hospital’s Credit Union for Kids Community Engagement Center last week.

At the May 23 event attendees—including those from American First CU, Credit Union of Southern California, Eagle Community CU, Financial Partners CU, Kinecta FCU, Orange County’s CU, SchoolsFirst FCU, San Diego County CU, Southland CU, and Wescom CU—got their first look at the new center located in the CHOC Children’s Foundation offices. The center can accommodate up to 110 people for lectures, meetings, training programs, and receptions. Its state-of-the art audiovisual and conferencing technologies were on display with photos of past credit union fundraising efforts.

The center—named in recognition of Credit Union for Kids Orange County’s pledge to raise $5 million in five years for CHOC as well as its history of support—is designed to promote collaboration among community leaders, doctors, staff, donors, and volunteers.

“With a multi-functional design and latest technology, this center is a key component of our philanthropic outreach here at CHOC,” said CHOC Foundation Vice President and Chief Development Officer Doug Corbin at the grand opening event. “Because of your generosity, we are able to strategically engage more people to achieve our philanthropic goals than ever before. And through this center, that bears your name, the CHOC Foundation is empowered to achieve unprecedented levels of success going forward.”

The Credit Union for Kids Community Engagement Center’s grand opening was held May 23 in Orange County. Attendees included representatives from various credit unions as well as CU Direct President and CEO Tony Boutelle. 

Corbin thanked credit unions for their support and commitment to the community’s children, the hospital, and for being instrumental in helping CHOC become a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital (CMN) in 2006. Credit Union for Kids Orange County is now the third-highest fundraising market out of 170 CMN hospitals in North America, with local credit unions raising a little under $5 million in support of CHOC, he said.

“That’s really an amazing statistic, and you and your teams are to be congratulated for all the hard work that you’ve done,” Corbin added.

Via video, CMN President and CEO John Lauck commended the Credit Unions for Kids Orange County for its $5-million pledge and for its commitment to help CMN hospitals.

“Thank you for everything you are doing; it’s helping so many kids,” Lauck added.