Newly Crowned Miss America Makes First Official CMN Hospitals Ambassador Visit to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Atlantic City, NJ (Sept. 24, 2015) – Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is pleased to congratulate and welcome Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell as its newest National Goodwill Ambassador. As a spokesperson for the charity, Cantrell will visit pediatric patients at member Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across the U.S. throughout her year of service and share with the public how community donations provide medical equipment, programs, research and charitable care for local kids.
Following her crowning on Sept. 13, Cantrell began a coast-to-coast media tour and made her first visit to a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital as an official advocate for the charity. Monday’s visit to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) included a tour of the hospital and one-on-one time with kids receiving chemotherapy, blood transfusions, and intravenous therapy at Infusion Center and Day Hospital, an outpatient arm of CHLA’s renowned Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases.
“We’re thrilled to have Betty as a national advocate for the 10 million children who receive treatment at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals annually,” said John Lauck, president and CEO of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. “She will learn firsthand how local funds impact families across the nation and will have many opportunities to increase that awareness by sharing her experiences and encouraging support.”
In addition to hospital visits, Cantrell will join 52 child “Champions” – one from every state – for a 2016 Ambassador Tour stopping in Atlanta, Orlando, Fla., and Washington, D.C. Through public appearances, media interviews, and congressional visits, they will help people understand that children’s hospitals depend on community support to provide the life-saving care for which they are known. As the national platform of the Miss America Organization, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals will also enlist Cantrell’s support for many of its national fundraising campaigns and events.
The Miss America Organization’s partnership with CMN Hospitals also extends to all young women competing at the local, state, and national levels of the competition. As part of its service initiative, participating contestants raise funds on behalf of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Miss America Scholarship Fund. The efforts have resulted in more than $12 million raised since 2007.
As part of the Miss America competition in Atlantic City,N.J., threeMiracle Maker Awards were presented for exceptional fundraising at the state level. Contestant Miss South CarolinaDaja Dialwas awardeda $5,000 scholarship for individual fundraising, while the Miss South Carolina and Miss District of Columbia organizations also received $5,000 scholarship awards for highest amount raised by state and highest average raised, respectively.
To learn more about the Miss America Organization and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ partnership – and to donate to your local hospital on behalf of a contestant – visit www.MissAmericaforKids.org.
About Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® raises funds and awareness for 170 member hospitals that provide 32 million treatments each year to kids across the U.S. and Canada. Donations stay local to fund critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment and charitable care. Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $5 billion, most of it $1 at a time through the charity’s Miracle Balloon icon. Its various fundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit’s mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible. Find out why children’s hospitals need community support, identify your member hospital and learn how you can Put Your Money Where the Miracles Are, at CMNHospitals.org and facebook.com/CMNHospitals.
About The Miss America Organization
The Miss America Organization a 501(c) 4 non-profit corporation, provides millions of dollars in annual college scholarship assistance making it the largest scholarship program for women in the United States. MAO is comprised of 52 licensed organizations, which includes all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. MAO contestants contribute tens of thousands of community service hours annually and have raised over $12 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Miss America scholarships since 2007.
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