Register NOW for the Wolfson Children’s Challenge: Virtual Edition!

Wolfson Children’s Hospital
Media Alert
December 16, 2020

Connect for the cause with four weeks of virtual activity and social challenges, benefiting Wolfson Children’s Hospital of Jacksonville.

 

What: The Wolfson Children’s Challenge is going virtual for 2021. Kids and families of all abilities and fitness levels can participate in the Wolfson Children’s Challenge: Virtual Edition, celebrating current and former patients of Wolfson Children’s Hospital of Jacksonville and raising funds for lifesaving care. The month-long virtual event, which begins on Sunday, January 3, 2021, includes activity challenges and weekly social and compassion challenges, culminating in a virtual closing ceremony on Saturday, January 30, 2021. Accessible activity challenges are designed so that people of all abilities can take part, such as participants who are wheelchair-bound or require special needs, and include:

·         20-kilometer individual walk/run challenge

·         100-kilometer individual run challenge

·         200-kilometer team walk/run challenge

·         50-kilometer biking challenge

This year, participants have the unique opportunity to recruit friends and family from all over the world to join their team, get active and fundraise. Runners can track activity progress and fundraising on the Wolfson55 App.

 When: January 3 – 30, 2021
Registration is open NOW at wolfsonchildrenschallenge.com.

Where: Virtual participation via the Wolfson55 App.

Instructions for download will be provided via email after registration through online portal.

 Who: Every year, the Wolfson Children’s Challenge honors the “Wolfson 55,” 55 current and former patients of all ages who represent the wide range of conditions we treat at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Each child and family has a story to tell about the strength it takes to fight a health battle.

Background: The Wolfson Children’s Challenge was created by Paul Wilson, whose newborn son, Luke, underwent surgery just hours after his birth. Paul hoped to raise $5,000 by running 55 miles, the age of the hospital when his son was a patient. Wilson’s mission has far surpassed his initial goal, with the Wolfson Children’s Challenge raising more than $4 million to date!

All proceeds benefit the Wolfson Children’s Challenge Endowment and help fund the purchase of life-saving trauma equipment and technology for Wolfson Children’s Hospital’s most critically ill and injured patients.

This year, the endowment will focus on the development of an MIBG therapy room on the oncology floor of Wolfson Children’s Hospital. As the first of its kind in Florida, the new room will give Wolfson Children’s the ability to offer the newest upfront treatment for children with neuroblastoma, the most common solid tumor of childhood cancer. MIBG therapy is a radioactive treatment that must be administered to pediatric patients in a special room designed to protect staff, patients and families in surrounding rooms from radiation. During the treatment, patients must be kept isolated in the specialized room for three to five days to prevent radiation exposure to other patients and staff. The Wolfson Children’s Hospital room that is being converted for this purpose already has a separate, adjoining living space to accommodate parents and families. Voice and video communication equipment will be installed in the rooms, allowing families and patients to remain connected.

Availity, a leading provider of electronic health care transactions, is the Champion Sponsor of Wolfson Children’s Challenge: Virtual Edition.

For more information about the event or to register online, visit wolfsonchildrenschallenge.com.

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Wolfson Children’s Hospital relies on the generosity of members of our community. To support Wolfson Children’s Hospital, please visit wolfsonchildrens.com.

 About Wolfson Children’s Hospital of Jacksonville
Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, is a part of Baptist Health, Northeast Florida’s most comprehensive health system serving every stage of life. Wolfson Children’s is the only children’s hospital in Northeast Florida and serves as the pediatric referral center for North Florida, South Georgia and beyond. Staffed 24/7 by pediatric nurses and other healthcare professionals specially trained to work with children, the 216-bed, patient- and family-centered hospital features the latest pediatric medical technology in a welcoming, child-friendly environment. At Wolfson Children’s, nationally recognized pediatric specialists representing nearly every medical and surgical specialty work with pediatricians to provide care for children of all ages with congenital heart conditions, cancer, neurological disorders, diabetes and endocrinology disorders, orthopedic conditions, behavioral health conditions, traumatic injuries, and more. Wolfson Children’s pediatric institutional partners include Nemours Children’s Specialty Care, Jacksonville, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, the University of Florida College of Medicine — Jacksonville and  Mayo Clinic Florida. A Magnet™-designated hospital since 2010, Wolfson Children’s Hospital has been named among the U.S. News & World Report 50 Best Children’s Hospitals year after year, and in 2019, was selected as one of only 10 children’s hospitals in the country as a Leapfrog Top Children’s Hospital, a recognition of patient quality and safety. For additional information, please visit wolfsonchildrens.com.