Desert Schools Donates More Than $500,000 to Phoenix Children’s Hospital
1 Darn Cool School Receives Substantial Gift to Support Educational
Efforts
PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Desert Schools Federal Credit Union proudly donated more than a half
million dollars to 1 Darn Cool School, Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s
formal school program, yesterday. Facilitated through the hospital’s
trivia game show, the generous check amount was revealed and presented
to the hospital in a fun and interactive way.
Hosted on PCH-1, the hospital’s closed circuit station, the weekly
trivia show guest-starred Desert Schools executives and revealed the
donation with one very important question: how much money did Desert
Schools Federal Credit Union bring to donate to Phoenix Children’s
Hospital today? The winning answer of $500,000 was answered by a patient
on the 8th floor named Rebecca. Following the show, the
Desert Schools team was honored to bring the prize wagon around to 20
patients who provided winning answers during the segment.
“We are incredibly proud to support 1 Darn Cool School and the teachers
who contribute to this truly unique program,” said Susan Frank, CEO of
Desert Schools. “On top of that, we’re very touched to have been able to
interact with the brave and sweet patients at the hospital. We
appreciate them for letting us play along and be a part of their day. It
really means the world to us to support Phoenix Children’s Hospital.”
Through a variety of channels, including Desert Schools’ annual charity
golf tournament, various employee giving campaigns, and member campaigns
like Shop for Miracles, Desert Schools was able to reach its fundraising
goal of $500,000.
Facilitated through the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, the
contribution marks a total of more than $4 million donated to Phoenix
Children’s Hospital by Desert Schools since 1997. In 2000, donations
from Desert Schools assisted in launching the highly valuable 1 Darn
Cool School program, and last year the hospital honored Desert Schools’
commitment with a plaque outside the schools’ classroom.
“1 Darn Cool School is an important part of the care we provide our
patients and families, helping kids be productive and stay on track
academically while in the hospital,” said Steve Schnall, Senior Vice
President and Chief Development Officer at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
“Phoenix Children’s is one of only a few hospitals in the country with
its own teaching staff and relies on support from Desert Schools to
offer this valuable program. We are extremely appreciative of this
generous donation and the continued partnership with Desert Schools.”
Maintaining a sense of normalcy, attending school and interacting with
peers while hospitalized can be hugely beneficial to a child. 1 Darn
Cool School offers patients a traditional classroom setting to learn,
play and discover while receiving treatment at Phoenix Children’s. The
accredited full-time teachers work with approximately 10,000 patients a
year both in the classroom and at their bedsides. Visiting artists offer
unique classes on Fridays, including music, painting, cooking and
photography. When patients are ready to leave the hospital, teachers at
1 Darn Cool School work with the child’s school to assist in the
transition back to a more traditional environment.
About Desert Schools Federal Credit Union
Celebrating its 77th year in Arizona, Desert Schools is
Arizona’s largest credit union with $3.8 billion in assets, more than
308,000 members and branch locations across the Valley. As a
not-for-profit cooperative, Desert Schools prides itself on providing
stellar service and innovative products to its customers, and taking an
active role in community outreach and education efforts in the Valley
and beyond. Learn more at www.desertschools.org.
About Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Phoenix Children’s Hospital is Arizona’s only children’s hospital that
is ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s
Hospitals. Phoenix Children’s provides world-class inpatient,
outpatient, trauma, emergency and urgent care to children and families
in Arizona and throughout the Southwest. As one of the largest
children’s hospitals in the country, Phoenix Children’s provides care
across more than 75 pediatric specialties. The Hospital is poised for
continued growth in quality patient care, research and medical
education. For more information about the hospital, visit www.phoenixchildrens.org.
Contacts
ANDERSON Advertising & PR
Claire Holzman, 480-945-2229
claire@anderson-adv.com
