For 115 years, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has created hope and built healthier futures for critically ill and injured children in Los Angeles.

This holiday season, the Live L.A. Give L.A. campaign is being championed by actress Drew Barrymore, our generous corporate partners and media organizations to ask Angelenos to support CHLA’s mission to defeat childhood cancer, heart defects, neurological disorders, bone and skeletal conditions and other catastrophic conditions ailing children right here at home.

Starting today and extending through the end of the year, the Live L.A. Give L.A. campaign is calling on our community to donate funds that will directly support care for the children of Los Angeles. A national leader and innovator in the pediatric medical community, Children’s Hospital’s appeal reflects the reality that the finest medical care and research comes with an immense cost—and the needs are urgent. A gift to the Live L.A. Give L.A. campaign helps safeguard the community’s sickest children by providing the support that the nonprofit pediatric hospital needs to conduct leading-edge research and ensure that critical, lifesaving care is available to every child the hospital treats.

Community organizations like Credit Unions for Kids (CU4KIDS), a nonprofit collaboration of credit unions, are partnering with CHLA in support of the hospital’s campaign. The organization’s donation of $600,000 is a dollar-for-dollar challenge grant to the Los Angeles community. “With its 250,000 employees and 100 million members, Credit Unions for Kids is dedicated to making a huge difference in the lives of sick children,” says Keith Sultemeier, CEO of Kinecta Federal Credit Union and chair of the Credit Union for Kids Advisory Board at CHLA. We are proud and honored to support CHLA’s Live L.A. Give L.A. campaign and hope that the Los Angeles community will join us.”

Drew Barrymore, Golden Globe winning actress, entrepreneur, mother and longtime hospital supporter, is leading the 2016 Live L.A. Give L.A. campaign, inspiring families to give to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

“I grew up in Los Angeles, and I now raise my children here. I believe that every child in our community should be able to receive the best care possible, and with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles we’re lucky enough to have that,” says Barrymore, a recipient of the hospital’s Courage to Care award at CHLA’s 2016 “Once Upon a Time” Gala. “Over the years, I’ve been able to have incredible hands-on experiences at the hospital, meeting these heroic kids battling the toughest illnesses: cancer, brain tumors, heart defects, traumatic injuries and many other diseases. The passion in CHLA’s doctors, nurses and research scientists caring for these kids is extraordinary. With your help, we can give these kids the life-saving treatments they need and discover cures that can be shared here, and around the world. The Live L.A. Give L.A. campaign will make sure your donations support this essential lifesaving work and create happier and healthier lives for all children.”

Dollars raised from the Live L.A. Give L.A. campaign will support the hospital’s Helping Hands Fund, which ensures that every patient treated at CHLA receives the critical, lifesaving care they need. CHLA is teaming up with community partners to provide Los Angeles families with fun, convenient ways to support its mission. The Los Angeles Kings will be partnering with CHLA for this campaign, dedicating their Dec. 8 game to CHLA. KDOC TV – Los Angeles is also hosting two telethons asking viewers to support of the hospital’s Live L.A. Give L.A. campaign.

“Helping children heal is our primary mission and we cannot achieve this without community support,” says Paul Viviano, president and CEO of CHLA. “While some children’s hospitals choose to focus on one area of child health, we focus on them all. With 350 programs and services just for children, we’re prepared to help children recover faster. Our mission to provide life-saving care for children in Los Angeles would not be possible without the backing of our community.”

“We are delighted to support the unique and compassionate brand of health care that Children’s Hospital Los Angeles provides for children,” says Matt von Waaden, Co-Founder of WavHello, a technology firm that makes sound and digital products for families. The company recently committed $250,000 to CHLA. “CHLA goes above and beyond to ensure that the medical care that they provide is not only comprehensive from a medical perspective but also looks at the welfare of the child and their entire family, integrating programs like child life, art and music therapy and more to support the best possible recovery process for their patients.”

Individuals who wish to support the campaign may donate online at CHLA.org/GiveLA. Credit Union for Kids has donated $600,000 to support the hospital’s Helping Hands Fund and challenges the community to do the same through the Live L.A. Give L.A. campaign. The hospital’s Helping Hands Fund is dedicated to ensuring that all of CHLA patients receive the critical, lifesaving care they need.

Family-Friendly Events

§ KDOC Telethons
KDOC channel 56 will be airing a 30-minute telethon on Saturday, evening, Dec. 17 from 7:30 – 8 p.m. The show will be hosted by Coleen Sullivan, news anchor for ABC7 Eyewitness News and feature compelling patient stories, innovative research and compassionate medical experts. Additional air dates will be announced closer to the end of the year.

§ Los Angeles Kings Game – Dec. 8
Attendees will be provided with opportunities to text “KINGS” to 91999 to make a donation and participate in a special “Get One – Give One” opportunity; donors will get a special edition Kings hat and know that their donation will mean that a similar hat will be given to a child in the hospital. There will also be on-site opportunities to make a cash donation at designated CHLA booths within the concourse.