Kids of Steele raised approximately $91,000 for the University of Arizona Steele Children’s Research Center at its Sixth Annual Mini Golf Event Oct. 23 at Golf N’ Stuff.
Kids of Steele, the family auxiliary of the Steele Center, is comprised of local families who want to teach their children about service and kindness, while raising awareness and funds for the UA Steele Center.
"It was truly amazing to see our community come together to raise funds for much-needed pediatric medical research, giving hope to patients and their families," said Jenny Horn, Kids of Steele event chair.
The event continues to grow every year. This year’s event raised $20,000 more than last year.
“The support offered by our sponsors and attendees helps patients know that they are not alone and that there are many who care about them and want to help make their dream of a cure through research a reality,” said Horn.
About 500 children and adults participated in the event, which included miniature golf, bumper boats, go-karts, laser tag, batting cages, arcade games, face painting and craft-making projects to benefit patients. Food was provided by Lerua’s Fine Mexican Food, Sauce Pizza and Wine, Brother John’s Beer, Bourbon & BBQ and Frost Gelato.
Participants were inspired by a mother whose two children successfully were treated at the new “Children’s Postinfectious Autoimmune Encephalopathy Center of Excellence (CPAE) at the UA Steele Center,” which opened in August. Both children suffered from PANDAS—a neuropsychiatric autoimmune disease that is triggered by a strep infection. The new CPAE center is the first of its kind in the United States.
Funds raised from the event will be used for “greatest-need” research projects at the Steele Center and Kids of Steele service projects, such as providing breakfast and afternoon snacks to outpatients at the Angel Wing for Children with Diabetes and the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Clinic, both located at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson.
“We are so grateful for Kids of Steele and their ongoing support,” said Fayez K. Ghishan, MD, professor and head, UA Department of Pediatrics, and director of the UA Steele Center. “Their determination and hard work to support our research is inspirational.”
To learn more about Kids of Steele, please visit: www.kidsofsteele.og
Photos of the event can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/zoptmar
About the UA Steele Children’s Research Center
The UA Steele Children’s Research Center is one of the prestigious Centers of Excellence at the UA College of Medicine – Tucson at the University of Arizona Health Sciences. It is the state’s only academic pediatric research center designated by the Arizona Board of Regents, and the only facility in Southern Arizona where researchers and physician-scientists are dedicated to advancing medical knowledge through basic and translational research to improve children’s health. As researchers, they seek to discover answers to children’s medical mysteries. As physician-scientists, they provide compassionate care to hospitalized patients at Banner Children’s at Diamond Children’s Medical Center and pediatric outpatient clinics throughout Tucson and the state. And, as faculty members with the UA Department of Pediatrics, they teach and train the next generation of pediatricians and researchers.
About the University of Arizona Health Sciences
The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the UA Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research, patient care and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the UA Health Sciences employs almost 5,000 people, has nearly 1,000 faculty members and garners more than $126 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: http://uahs.arizona.edu. Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn