Miracle Children and their stories of remarkable courage during life-threatening illnesses and injuries helped make the 33rd annual Celebration Broadcast a tremendous success.

Thanks to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ longtime television partner, WITN, which produces the two-day fundraiser, this year’s Miracle Children were able to share their heartwarming stories of complex illnesses and traumatic injuries and the quality medical care they received from James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at Vidant Medical Center.

The theme of this year’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals campaign has been “Put Your Money Where the Miracles Are,” which shows how important donations are in helping shape a healthier tomorrow for patients served at Maynard Children’s Hospital.

This also marked the 16th year that Krispy Kreme has partnered with the local Children’s Miracle Network program by generously providing certificates for a free dozen glazed doughnuts for each $12 x 12 donation made. In addition to supporting the televised broadcast on WITN, they also support the 107.9 Radiothon by providing their listeners the same delicious treat to say thank you for supporting sick and injured children in eastern North Carolina.

Major contributors to the yearly event, held June 1 and 3 to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, featured contributions from long-time supporters from across eastern North Carolina including Speedway, Walmart/Sam’s Clubs, Log A Load for Kids and The Service League of Greenville.

“Caring individuals, community groups, businesses and others show how much they care about children by providing generous contributions to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. In eastern North Carolina, this generosity enables the Maynard Children’s Hospital, located in Greenville and serving 29 counties, to see beyond obvious treatment and save more lives,” said Myra Bowen, chair, Vidant Health Foundation Board of Trustees. “The care and high-quality treatment received here will continue into the future through this year’s amazing donors.”

The Celebration Broadcast featured guests and sponsors who have contributed during the past year, as well as callers who pledged their support.

Earlier this year, the Music for Miracles Radiothon on 107.9 WNCT raised more than $75,000 during the 21st year of their special event, bringing their total raised to more than $3.5 million. For the first time, this year’s radiothon expanded to include all Inner Banks Media radio stations. In addition to 107.9, these included: 103.7 WTIB (Talk of the Town); 94.1 WNBU; 96.3 Thunder Country; 97.9 Fresh; and 94.3 The Game.

The largest donor to this year’s campaign came from a long-time corporate partner of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Speedway, which raised $232,033 in just their third year of partnership with Maynard Children’s Hospital.

Other major donors and their gifts included Walmart/Sam’s Clubs with $116,824; Log A Load for Kids with $135,000; and Jersey Mike’s Subs (eastern North Carolina stores) with $77,176.

Several local fundraising initiatives proved successful for this year’s campaign, including Bryson’s Birdies for Kids which raised $34,500; Dance Arts Theatre’s Nutcracker Ballet with $25,247; The International Taste of Greenville with $24,898; and Extra Life with $17,918.

Other campaign contributors were Panda Express with $23,834; RE/MAX with $14,820; Phi Mu Chapter of ECU with $11,428; Dairy Queen with $11,115; The Electric Cooperatives of Eastern Carolina with $10,000; Rite Aid with $9,600; and Ace Hardware with $7,486. Pepsi/Minges Bottling Group; The Service League of Greenville; WIMCO; Eastern Radiologists, Inc.; and Harris, Creech, Ward and Blackerby, P.A. each contributed $5,000.

Additional gifts were from 3HC Home Health and Hospice with $3,000; Securities Lending Hand Foundation and Pungo Christian Academy with $2,500; IHOP with $2,264; Greater Greenville Kiwanis Club with $1,270; Care-O-World Enrichment Center with $2,363; Baynor, Inc. Central World Heating and Air Conditioning; and Grady White Boats with $2,000; Greenville Little Leagues with $1,888; United Networks of America with $1,695; MSL Health Care Partners, Inc. and Oasis Shrine Temple each with $1,500; Veneer Technologies with $1,400; Publix with $1,396; Vidant Edgecombe Blue Jeans for Babies with $1,234; Ollie’s Bargain Outlet with $1,081; and brothers, Arun and Ajay Ajmera each with $1,100.  Aldridge and Southerland Realtors, AKA of Kinston; Team Lighting; LJ Construction; Ricci Law Firm; Coldwell Bankers Coastal Rivers Realty; and Greenville Pediatrics each gave $1,000.

The local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals fundraising program is staffed and supported by the Vidant Health Foundation, the non-profit charitable corporation that serves as the custodian for all financial gifts and bequests to Vidant Health. The Vidant Health Foundation oversees allocation of all donated funds.

Media contact: Beth Anne Atkins, director, marketing and communications, ECU Health Foundation, 252-847-7695 or [email protected]

“Because we believe in a life without cancer.”

These words have been echoed throughout eastern North Carolina during the last three years as everyone watched the new cancer center and bed tower rise out of the ground into the six-story building that now sits on the east side of the Vidant Medical Center Campus in Greenville.

To help Vidant Health fulfill this bold mission to keep people disease free and successfully treat those who are diagnosed with cancer, Eddie Smith Jr. and his wife of 55 years, Jo Allison, through their family foundation, have generously given the lead gift to help fund the completion of the tower. Their contribution also assisted in bringing other major donors on board for the cancer center.

“This gift is in honor of the many friends, family members and associates who have already fought the fight against cancer, for those who are fighting and those whose fight is yet to come,” said Eddie Smith, owner and CEO of Grady-White boats. “We are so blessed to be able to give back to this community, this area, and its people who have been such a blessing to us during our lives.”

The Smiths moved to Greenville in 1968 to build a business and raise a family. They are grateful for the opportunities and friendships the community has provided during the last 50 years.

“We are so humbled and honored that Eddie and Jo Allison chose to support this project that is so vital to the people of eastern North Carolina,” said Dr. Michael Waldrum, CEO, Vidant Health. “We are inspired by a commitment to provide unsurpassed care close to home which is why we are creating a coordinated network of hospitals and physicians that will position the system as the region’s premier provider of cancer care.”

The Smiths share the Vidant Health vision to prevent cancer whenever possible, diagnose the disease in the earliest stages and ensure that every cancer patient receives world-class care while staying close to home.

The new 418,000-square-foot cancer center and bed tower is located adjacent to the existing East Carolina Heart Institute on the Greenville campus. The six-story, 96-bed facility is designed so all inpatient beds can provide cancer care at the tertiary level.  For now, this includes intermediate and general level medical and surgical care for inpatients, with the capability for intensive care in the future.  It also includes space for the following:

• First floor – 140,000 square feet, including a lobby, outpatient cancer clinic, radiation oncology, infusion services, patient support, pharmacy, lab and administration office space
• Second floor – 48 inpatient beds and clinical support space
• Third floor – mechanical, electrical and support space
• Fourth floor – 48 inpatient beds and clinical support space
• Fifth and sixth floors – space for possible future expansion and/or the replacement of existing hospital inpatient beds

Throughout the building, visitors will find special touches and features to help enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of care delivery and improve the patient experience. Patients, visitors and team members will be able to enjoy healing gardens and natural outside environments, as well as shop at a specialized boutique and Image Renewal Center designed to meet the needs of cancer patients. There will also be a resource room for patients and families to do research, in addition to conference space for cancer awareness and support programs.

The estimated cost of construction and equipping the cancer center and bed tower is $174 million. Approximately $50 million will be funded through philanthropy.

The cancer center and bed tower will open later this month.

Media contact: Beth Anne Atkins, director, marketing and communications, ECU Health Foundation, 252-847-7695 or [email protected]

About The Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation

The Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation was formed in 1993, and supports health, education, environment, and many community organizations from the arts to human services. Eddie is the owner and CEO of Grady-White Boats, a local company that is also committed to community involvement. Both the company and the foundation support projects that have made a difference and improved the quality of life here in eastern North Carolina.