Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation Launches New Youth Fundraising Society Caterpillar Club

Caterpillar Club is now live for participants to register 

March 18, 2026

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation announces the launch of the Caterpillar Club, a youth fundraising recognition society created to empower young people to make a meaningful impact in support of pediatric care, research and innovation. The Caterpillar Club invites youth across the region to join a community-building initiative that supports the health and well-being of children.   

“The Caterpillar Club is a youth-focused recognition society that gives young supporters a meaningful way to contribute to the hospital’s mission of advancing pediatric care and innovation,” said Steve Testa, president of Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Through engaging fundraising efforts and activities, members build valuable life skills while helping to ensure that every child receives the best possible care, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.” 

Created with the belief that young people can be powerful advocates and changemakers, the Caterpillar Club offers participants opportunities to develop leadership skills, engage in fundraising activities, and support vital programs at Nationwide Children’s Hospital that advance cutting-edge pediatric care and research. 

The Caterpillar Club is open to youth who are passionate about making a difference for patients and families at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Membership is earned through action: young changemakers host and complete a fundraiser benefiting the hospital. Once their fundraiser is successfully completed, they are formally inducted into the Caterpillar Club and recognized as members of this growing community of youth philanthropists. 

For more information on how to get involved with the Caterpillar Club, please visit give.nationwidechildrens.org or contact Kenna Scaife Kenna.Scaife@NationwideChildrens.org  

About Nationwide Children's Hospital

Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-26 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 17,000 that provides state-of-the-art wellness, preventive and rehabilitative care and diagnostic treatment during more than 1.9 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.