Eat'n Park Raises More Than $400K for Children's Hospitals

Hospitality Group team members and guests have raised $413,371 for children’s hospitals and charities across Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia during the company’s 33rd annual Caring for Kids Campaign. 

The grand total is an increase of more than 21 percent during the 2010 campaign and is the highest total ever raised in the history of the Caring for Kids Campaign—exceeding the previous record set in 2006 by more than $51,000.

Since its inception in 1979, the Caring for Kids Campaign has now raised more than $8 million. The money donated at Eat’n Park Restaurants and Parkhurst locations benefits children’s hospitals in local communities. 

In Pittsburgh, the Caring for Kids Campaign also shattered a record for the Free Care Fund at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. This year’s $326,742 contribution to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh brings Eat’n Park’s lifetime contribution to more than $7 million. 

“We are ecstatic about setting new fund-raising records,” said Eat’n Park’s Director of Corporate Giving and Community Partnerships, Trina DeMarco, in a release. “The generosity of Eat’n Park guests, team members and partners ensures that children throughout our region will receive the care they need at children’s hospitals. We do it all for the kids.”

This year’s campaign included support from the Neighborhood Ford Store, its second year donating a vehicle for the in-store raffle fundraiser. Thanks to their generosity, one lucky Eat’n Park guest—Robin Brooks from Youngstown, Ohio—won a 2012 Ford Focus. The Neighborhood Ford Store is comprised of 82 Ford dealers in southwest Pennsylvania, southeast Ohio and the panhandles of Maryland and West Virginia. 

Brooks’ winning ticket was selected from more than 70,000 tickets that were purchased to benefit the campaign. The Ford raffle generated more than $140,000 for the Caring for Kids Campaign. A patient at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC selected the winning ticket on Dec. 14.

In addition to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, 11 other hospitals across Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, benefit from the initiative, including West Virginia University Children’s Hospital; St. Vincent Health System; Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley; Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Children’s Hospital; Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital; Indiana Regional Medical Center; DuBois Regional Medical Center; Geisinger Medical Center; Columbus Children’s Hospital Foundation; Children’s Medical Center of Akron; and Children’s Hospital Foundation of Philadelphia.