North Texas community rallies support for Children’s Medical Center

DALLAS (April 11, 2014) – For the fourth year, the North Texas community will take to the streets to run and ride for the benefit of North Texas children and Children’s Medical Center. The Red Balloon Run & Ride (RBRR) is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, and begins at 7:30 a.m. at Children’s Medical Center at Legacy, 7601 Preston Road, Plano, Texas, 75024.

The Red Balloon Run & Ride is a fundraising event produced by Passion for Children’s for the exclusive benefit of Children’s Medical Center. Participants are encouraged to raise a minimum of $100 for Children’s. The event includes a 1K Fun Run, 5K Run/Walk, 100K Ride, 80K Ride, 30K Ride and 5K Ride, as well as a health expo, family activities and food zone.

Annually, more than 7,000 people attend. At the last event, 202 teams participated, totaling more than 5,000 individual participants who raised more than $530,000 for Children’s. Money raised by past RBRR teams has helped fund new hospital programs, equipment and building projects, including the expansion of the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and the purchase of equipment for heart disease programs.

According to Dr. Kern Wildenthal, president of the Children’s Medical Center Foundation, North Texas is very fortunate to have one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country.

“The Red Balloon Run & Ride gives families and friends the opportunity to support Children’s individually or as a team through a fun and family-oriented experience,” says Dr. Wildenthal. Funds from this event are used to support our numerous programs, such as providing scholarships for special camps or seed money to start new programs that will help sick or injured children have better lives.”

As the only North Texas pediatric hospital recognized by U.S. News & World Report in all 10 specialties, Children’s Medical Center is a unique community resource serving more than 215,000 children through nearly 770,000 visits annually.

“The Red Balloon Run & Ride teams have made incredible contributions to Children’s during the past three years,” says Dr. Wildenthal. “Many of the teams have been with the Red Balloon Run & Ride since its inception, and new teams register each year. We continue to be encouraged by the commitment and support these teams give so that Children’s may continue its mission to make life better for children.”

For the latest information about start times, how to join teams, event details or to view highlights from past events, please visit http://www.childrens.com/runandride.

About Children’s Medical Center

Founded in 1913, the not-for-profit Children’s Medical Center is the seventh-largest pediatric health care provider in the country, receiving nearly 770,000 patient visits annually with 591 licensed beds at its two full-service campuses in Dallas and Plano, and multiple specialty clinics and 16 primary care MyChildren’s locations. Children’s was the state’s first pediatric hospital to achieve Level 1 Trauma status and is the primary pediatric teaching facility in North Texas, affiliated with UT Southwestern Medical Center. For more than 100 years, Children’s has been committed to making life better for children. To learn more, please visit www.childrens.com.