ENCOURAGE KIDS SERVING UP SMILES ACROSS THE COUNTRY gala 2024

November 14, 2024

Every day, enCourage Kids Foundation (EKF) works to humanize healthcare for children in hospitals. They partner with more than 330 pediatric facilities across the country, providing a robust and diverse menu of programming that allows us to give our hospital partners options to support the kids and families in their care. For example, our Bear Program provides comfort, normalcy, and even creates an opportunity for medical play to help a child cope with a diagnosis or prep for an upcoming procedure. Through their flagship program, the Jay Anderson Pediatric Hospital Support Fund, they fund programs such as creative arts therapies that give kids a creative outlet to process and express themselves during times of trauma. Every child's needs are different, and their programs are special and valuable not only for the patients but also for the caretakers.

Our team had the opportunity to sit down with Jean Butler, President & CEO enCourage Kids Foundation, and take a deep dive into the work of the organization. 

“I’m so grateful to spearhead the work that we do and share what differentiates enCourage Kids from other children’s healthcare foundations. Our direct relationships that we have with children’s hospitals around the country speaks for itself. We work with 300+ hospitals and hear directly from Child Life specialists what they need to better serve their pediatric patients. In many instances, enCourage Kids provides funding for programs that typically aren’t covered by a hospital’s budget. This means that EKF’s programs and resources assume even greater importance in the landscape of children’s healthcare. We are proud of what we have accomplished over the last 39 years but know that there is much more work to be done!”

“Holidays are a particularly difficult time for hospitalized children. We’re on track to distribute thousands of our signature Teddy Bears to hospitalized children across the country by the end of the year as part of our Send A Smile, Send A Bear program. We’re also planning a Toy and Bear distribution event with one of our NY-based hospital partners in December. During a time when being in a hospital can feelparticularly isolating, our goal is to ensure that every child experiences joy, hope, and emotional healing.”

“This year’s Serving Up Smiles was a fantastic event! Serving Up Smiles has become our most popular fundraising event—and why wouldn’t it be? It’s an evening that offers delectable dishes from some of New York City’s top restaurants, irresistible wines and spirits, and a silent auction filled with a menagerie of incredible items and one-of-a-kind experiences! Plus, the waterfront venue offers a gorgeous view of the Hudson River. It’s a perfect night out with your friends or coworkers where you can get away from the hustle and bustle, enjoy some fabulous food, do a little dancing to music provided by DJ CHEF, and simply have a good time, all while supporting a meaningful cause.”

“My favorite part of the night was getting to see everyone having a great time. enCourage Kids engenders a great deal of passion and affection among its supporters. This warmth was palpable, and many attendees remarked upon it. The venue looked beautiful with some amazing Halloween-themed décor provided by American Christmas. We had a fantastic lineup of chefs, restaurants, wines, spirits, and beverage companies who so generously donated their time and talents to this wonderful event. The amalgamation of all these extraordinary people in one room, celebrating the joy and healing enCourage Kids Foundation has provided to pediatric patients across the country, resulted in a very special evening!” 

“Moreover, we had the support of iconic radio personalities Elvis Duran, Danielle Monaro, and Skeery Jones, who were incredible. I’ve been listening to Elvis Duran and the Morning Show for as long as I can remember—who hasn’t? We’re talking about true legends whose voices are immediately recognizable, and they were every bit as funny and amazing in person as they are on air. Their love for New York and their fans really shone through in all their encounters with our guests, who of course, loved the chance to meet these NY icons. The best part of it all was having them participate in our call-to-action during the program portion of the evening. They have a real understanding and appreciation for the work we do and were able to engage the crowd and help us reach our Mission Moment fundraising goal.”

“The funds raised at Serving Up Smiles will help support our Bear Program, which we mentioned earlier. We have expanded our outreach to more hospitals around the country this year, and the funds from this event will go a long way towards putting a cuddly, incredibly soft furry friend into the hands of more children who are in need of some joy and comfort.”

“EKF has several exciting initiatives underway for our 300+ hospital partners. We recently piloted a successful Mental Health Wellness program and are now looking for corporate partners to help us scale it nationally so that more children can benefit from this critically important service.

We will continue to expand our signature Send A Smile Send A Bear program to hospitals across the country.  We partnered with iconic toy brand FAO Schwarz and created a brand-new, enhanced Bear this year, so we are busy spreading as much joy as possible through this program.

In addition, we are going to build on the success of the expansion of our Pediatric Hospital Support Program to fund more transformative projects in hospitals across the country. We are also continuing our hospital toy and bear distribution events, which have been so successful.”

If anybody would like more information or make a donation, please visit www.encourage-kids.org

Writer: Conley Turner                                             Editor: Yerelyn Cortez Hidalgo