COLUMBUS, Ohio (November 14, 2023) - Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s “Light Up the Lawn, Light Up a Life” Campaign will return for its second year starting today, November 14. "Light Up the Lawn, Light Up a Life” is designed to brighten the holidays for children hospitalized at Nationwide Children’s, their families and the health care heroes caring for them.
Launching this evening and continuing through the holiday season, a stunning butterfly-themed light display will illuminate Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s south lawn along Livingston Avenue and will be visible to patients, families and staff in the main inpatient tower.
Dozens of multi-colored butterflies will cover the lawn, lighting up each time a donation is made. By donating, the community will produce a unique light show each night for the patients and staff of Nationwide Children’s. New features have been added to the lawn for 2023 to surprise and delight patients. An online live-cam will allow the community to watch the lawn illuminate with their donations every evening.
Last year’s campaign welcomed thousands of new donors from across the country who lit the lawn for hospitalized patients at Nationwide Children’s, and overall holiday giving was up nearly 50 percent. The hospital is hoping to attract those generous donors back this year and welcome many more. All funds raised during “Light Up the Lawn, Light Up a Life” will go to fund life-saving research and medical care offered to every family regardless of their ability to pay.
Tim Robinson, CEO of Nationwide Children’s, invites the community to participate in the campaign and impact the lives of patients who will be spending time in the hospital during the holiday season.
“Sharing the holiday spirit with those who are in the hospital during this special time of year can be as easy as lighting up a butterfly on our lawn.” said Robinson. “The generosity of our community helps to fund cutting-edge research, the finest clinical care for every child, and education and training for the next generation of pediatric health care providers.”
The six and 10-foot butterflies displayed on the lawn are also available for “adoption,” and each sponsorship includes a variety of benefits for individuals or corporate benefactors. Lead sponsors will also be featured as matching gift sponsors for community giving throughout the season.
The hospital has also introduced new opportunities for companies to support the lifesaving work happening at Nationwide Children’s. Companies and community partners can sign on to become a Holiday Butterfly Champion and fulfill their holiday gift-giving goals through employee fundraising, company match programs, dollar donations on products sold, round-up campaigns and more.
The 2023 “Light Up the Lawn, Light Up a Life” Campaign will officially begin at the hospital’s Grand Illumination event at 5:30 p.m. on November 14 with a lawn lighting ceremony at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and will run through December 31.
“We couldn’t make this holiday magic happen without our gracious sponsors, community partners and campaign donors, all of whom we’re incredibly thankful for,” said Steve Testa, president of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation. “We look forward to seeing the kindness and generosity of our community shine and to bringing joy to our patients, families and staff for a second year in a row.”
Information on how to donate to “Light Up the Lawn, Light Up a Life” can be found at NationwideChildrens.org/giving.
###
About Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-24 list of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit free-standing pediatric health care systems providing unique expertise in pediatric population health, behavioral health, genomics, and health equity as the next frontiers in pediatric medicine, leading to best outcomes for the health of the whole child. Integrated clinical and research programs, as well as prioritizing quality and safety, are part of what allows Nationwide Children’s to advance its unique model of care. Nationwide Children’s has a staff of more than 14,000 that provides state-of-the-art wellness, preventive and rehabilitative care and diagnostic treatment during more than 1.7 million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded free-standing pediatric research facilities. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.