Under the inspiration of Ago Dermenjian and family, along with their wonderful team at Derco Foods, one of the world's leading agricultural commodity companies, has been compelled by the vision behind the Claude & Betty Lou Laval Angel Fund, a robust philanthropic program designed to assist families through a time of medical need. Derco Foods' generous donation of $25,000 will be matched by the fund, and will allow families to cope with the burden of non-medical financial needs associated with hospitalization. We are truly grateful for this philanthropic support to help patients and their families cared for at Valley Children's.

Valley Children’s Hospital has received a $25,000 Connecting Communities grant from Rite Aid Healthy Futures for a second year in a row to support its Kids Eat Smart Program. In 2019, Valley Children’s established its Kids Eat Smart Program to advance pediatric health and wellness in the community by introducing nutritious food options to children.

It has allowed children to enjoy free fruits while they shop with their families inside several grocery stores in Fresno. This year, the program has shifted to the 93706 Market, a project of Fresno Housing, to provide fresh fruits and vegetables in a neighborhood typically underserved by grocery stores and to support local farmers who provide the produce used for Kids Eat Smart.

“Healthy communities create healthier and more resilient children, and the reality is hunger and food insecurity prevent far too many children, families and communities from reaching their full and inherent potential,” said Matt DeCamara, executive director of Rite Aid Healthy Futures. 

Rite Aid Healthy Futures has provided more than $4.5 million in grant funding to leading children’s hospitals across the country. Launched in 2021, the Connecting Communities program finds innovative ways to link major institutions and their communities to nurture and promote health equity for children, especially those who may already be receiving medical care or living with a serious illness such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity, among others.

“We are grateful to Rite Aid Healthy Futures for continuing to support our mission of improving the health and well-being of children in our communities,” said Lynne Ashbeck, Valley Children’s senior vice president and chief community impact officer. 

Read the full news story here.

• Neonatology

• Pediatric Diabetes & Endocrinology

• Pediatric Gastroenterology & Gastrointestinal (GI) Surgery

• Pediatric Neurology & Neurosurgery

• Pediatric Orthopedics

• Pediatric Pulmonology & Lung Surgery

• Pediatric Urology

The annual Best Children’s Hospitals rankings assist families and their doctors in making informed decisions about where to receive care for challenging, rare or life-threatening illnesses.

To read the full News Story click here.

Walmart and Sam’s Club, our CMN Hospitals partners, are currently fundraising for Valley Children's. Look for the opportunity to donate at your local Walmart or Sam’s Club from June 12 until July 14.

Valley Children's 9th Annual ABC30 "Futures Worth Fighting For" Telethon is coming up on Thursday, August 10, 2023. For an entire day, ABC30 will be sharing about the services and care Valley Children's provides for the children in our community. We want to express a special thank you to our generous sponsors for this event.

For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Abby at aminong@valleychildrens.org, or call (559) 353-7100. Please send sponsor logos no later than Friday July 14, 2023.

Save the date! The 25th annual Harvest Ball will be held on October 7, 2023, on the Valley Children's Hospital South Lawn. This elegant gala hosts hundreds of our community's most generous philanthropists each year, and celebrates the life-saving mission of Valley Children's. To view detailed information about this year's Harvest Ball visit the webpage here, or to view sponsorship opportunities click the pdf here.