In 2013, Levine Children’s Hospital, in partnership with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, opened the Seacrest Studios — an in-house multimedia broadcast center in the hospital’s Overcash Atrium. The Foundation donated the infrastructure and committed to ongoing support for programming and operations of the studio, the fifth of its kind to open in the United States.
Ryan Seacrest visited Levine Children’s Hospital for the studio’s ribbon cutting and kicked off its first official broadcast. “Carolinas HealthCare System’s Levine Children’s Hospital is one of the best pediatric hospitals in the nation, and it’s a privilege to partner with them to launch Seacrest Studios in Charlotte,” said Seacrest. “I’m so proud that we were able to bring Seacrest Studios to this community, as I’m confident they will fully embrace the creativity and inspiration the studio will generate, lifting the spirits of patients, their families and the entire hospital community.”
The Seacrest Studios at Levine Children’s Hospital will provide young patients an outlet through which to engage and explore the creative realms of radio and television as well as enjoy live performances by musical artists. In addition, the Studios provide an educational opportunity for local interns who are pursuing careers in broadcasting.
Connie, Ryan, Meredith,
and Gary Seacrest
celebrate the opening
of Seacrest Studios.
Alfred and Amy Levine Dawson have emerged as extraordinary advocates for children’s health in our community. Amy, daughter of Sandra and Leon Levine (for whom Levine Children’s Hospital is named), serves on the Board of Ambassadors for Levine Children’s Hospital. Her husband Alfred regularly attends hospital administrative update meetings. In addition, the young couple is active in the Dreamcatcher Society, a fundraising group whose members commit to annual gifts over five years to support programs and resources at Levine Children’s Hospital.
In 2013, Alfred and Amy demonstrated significant support with a $100,000 commitment to the hospital’s Seacrest Studios. The parents of three young children, they enjoy visiting the studio and have even brought their oldest daughter to enjoy the entertainment.
Alfred and Amy continue to uphold the Levine family’s legacy of philanthropy through their dedication to Levine Children’s Hospital.
Eastwood Homes continued its longstanding partnership with Carolinas HealthCare Foundation in 2013 with a generous gift of $56,000 in support of the Ryan Seacrest Studios at Levine Children’s Hospital. In addition, Eastwood Homes extended its support beyond the walls of Levine Children’s Hospital with their outdoor advertising campaign: “Every home we sell helps a child get well.” The campaign created awareness for their fundraising efforts on behalf of Levine Children’s Hospital.
In 2008, Eastwood Homes made an initial gift to establish the Eastwood Homes Hospitality Cart at Levine Children’s Hospital. The cart makes daily deliveries of healthy snacks, magazines, and other amenities to each floor of the hospital, ensuring children and families have access to the comforts of home. These deliveries are sustained by regular gifts from Eastwood in connection with every home sale they make in the Charlotte region. As the partnership has grown, Eastwood Homes is now donating proceeds from their annual charity golf outing to support resources at Levine Children’s Hospital.
Since Eastwood Homes began their partnership with Levine Children’s Hospital in 2008, they have contributed over $150,000 to help sick and injured children in the Carolinas.
(L-R) Eastwood Homes’ Joe Stewart,
Lisa Lenhart, and Bryan DeGabrielle;
Scott Kerr, Carolinas HealthCare Foundation;
and Clark Stewart, Eastwood Homes.
Martin Truex Jr. strives for excellence on the speedway as well as the runway. The NASCAR driver, in partnership with long-time girlfriend Sherry Pollex, hosts the annual Catwalk for a Cause, a fashion show that benefits Levine Children’s Hospital. The event, born of the vision and compassion of Martin and Sherry, was first held in 2010 and paved the way for the establishment of the Martin Truex Jr. Pediatric Special Needs Fund at Carolinas HealthCare Foundation. This fund helps families struggling to balance financial burdens with caring for a child who has complicated or long-term medical needs.
In 2013, young patient models walked alongside adult models in front of a sold-out crowd at Catwalk for a Cause. The event raised $60,000 for Levine Children’s Hospital, which was divided between the Truex Special Needs Fund and the new Ryan Seacrest Studios at Levine Children’s Hospital. Martin and Sherry are frequent visitors in the studio, where they enjoy sharing a bit of NASCAR and a lot of compassion with young patients and their families.
Martin Truex Jr., and Sherry Pollex
are joined by pediatric cancer
patient “models” who will benefit
from the Foundation’s gift.
Following his tradition of supporting healthcare initiatives at Carolinas HealthCare System, Carolina Panther Greg Olsen and his wife Kara made a significant commitment in 2013 to Levine Children’s Hospital through their Receptions for Research Foundation.
The gift was made after the Olsens received life-saving care for their son T.J., who was born with a congenital heart defect known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Just days after his birth, T.J. underwent the first of three surgeries to treat the defect. After going home from the hospital, the Olsen family soon discovered the need, as well as the benefit, of having in-home nursing care for their fragile son.
As a result of their experience, Greg and Kara committed $175,000 to establish the HEARTest Yard Fund at Levine Children’s Hospital. The fund helps extend family-centered care beyond the walls of Levine Children’s Hospital and covers the cost of home care for families with children being treated for HLHS.
The Olsens, who have also supported breast cancer programs at Levine Cancer Institute (Greg’s mom is a survivor) through Receptions for Research, continue to ensure that excellent healthcare is being provided, right here in our community. They are committed to long-term support for the HEARTest Yard through an annual charity golf event, charity concerts, and a variety of other fundraisers.
Greg and Kara Olsen with
their three children, T.J.,
Tate (standing), and Talbot.
In partnership with Carolinas HealthCare Foundation, PinStripes, Golfing for Gehrig was founded in 1999 by Time Warner Cable executive Carole Hart and the late Ed Holt, former Accenture executive, whose family has continued its support. In the early years of the event, Liz and Ed Shea — along with their extended families — also joined what would become one of the most successful, long-running ALS fundraisers in the country.
In September 2013, patrons gathered to celebrate the event’s 15th anniversary at the Ballantyne Hotel, where Carolinas HealthCare Foundation announced collective proceeds of $3 million raised since the event’s inception. Funds raised benefit patients served by Carolinas HealthCare System’s Carolinas Neuromuscular/ALS-MDA Center. Over the years, PinStripes dollars have supported resources such as home visits from ALS team members who offer specialized care; communications devices that are loaned to patients from the Edwin D. Holt Communications Laboratory; assistive mobility equipment; respite caregiving support through the Mike Rucker ALS Care Fund; respiratory equipment and care; and clinical and laboratory research, all provided by Carolinas HealthCare System.
Over the 15-year period, PinStripes, Golfing for Gehrig presenting sponsors have included Accenture, Med Emporium, Time Warner Cable, and Shea Homes. Furthermore, the event’s success has been driven by a dedicated and hardworking group of volunteer leaders who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of ALS families. Their efforts have helped make the Carolinas Neuromuscular/ALS-MDA Center a destination of hope and a leader in providing gold-standard patient care.
L-R; Leigh Holt, Morgan Holt, Reilly Shea,
Cameron Grist, former Panther
Mike Rucker, Carole Hart (Time Warner Cable),
Dr. Benjamin Brooks, Christa Holt, and Win Holt.
In December 2013, the Robinson Liver Transplant Medicine Fund was named in honor of Anne and Epes Robinson, who generously donated $100,000 to support the Liver Transplant Program at Carolinas HealthCare System’s Center for Liver Diseases. This multidisciplinary program provides comprehensive care to patients with advanced liver disease.
Since carrying out the first liver transplant in 1994, medical experts at the Center for Liver Disease have performed more than 600 successful transplants. The Robinson Liver Transplant Medicine Fund will advance the Center’s future success by funding faculty and resident research activities, educational programs to advance specialized knowledge among physicians and nursing staff at the Center, and treatment innovations that will enhance care for liver transplant patients.
With the support of donors like the Robinson family, the Center will continue to advance its goal of providing compassionate care to patients and families impacted by liver disease.
(L-R) Epes Robinson, Mark Russo, MD,
and Anne Robinson.
Visit Charlotte Pipe and Foundry’s website, and you will see that they are: “A system about putting people first…a quality product…first-class service…a system that’s hard to beat.” How fitting that the company supports Carolinas HealthCare System’s Levine Children’s Hospital, an organization with parallel values and strong commitment to the people it serves.
Over the past four years, local employees of the family-owned company have opened their hearts for children at Levine Children’s Hospital, raising over $335,000 through their Choice Campaign. The Choice Campaign highlights eight local charities and allows employees the option to select their charity of choice. Through this campaign, 100% of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry’s gifts to Levine Children’s Hospital support programs such as pediatric rehabilitation, Child Life services, and life-saving medical equipment for our region’s most sick and injured children.
Not only is Charlotte Pipe and Foundry a leader in the plumbing and industrial systems industry, but they continue to lead the way as one of Levine Children's Hospital's most loyal and generous partners.
A generous gift from Dr. and Mrs. Russell Salton, in support of innovative programs associated with Carolinas HealthCare System’s Behavioral Health Campus in east Davidson, will continue to expand access to life-changing behavioral health services for residents of Davidson and surrounding communities. Located off NC 73, the new hospital and out-patient mental health clinic will address a profound, unmet need in a professional, respectful, patient centric environment.
Mental illness affects one in four Americans regardless of age, gender, race or geography. We deeply appreciate the vision and generosity of the Salton family in helping Carolinas HealthCare System to address this issue. “This beautiful new facility and the talented specialists it employs will be a tremendous resource for families in our area who frequently struggle to find appropriate behavioral healthcare for their loved ones,” says Dr. Salton. “We hope that our gift will inspire others to support the innovative work that Carolinas HealthCare System is doing in this field.”
Continuing a long-standing tradition of generous community support by the Daughters of Penelope, members of the organization’s local chapter (the Venus Chapter) gathered at Levine Cancer Institute in September 2013 to celebrate their $50,000 commitment to the Carolinas Breast Cancer Fund. The Fund’s primary mission is to meet the financial needs of breast cancer research, education, and support programs at Levine Cancer Institute. The group’s outstanding contribution to this cause was recognized by a plaque dedication at the facility.
The chapter’s primary annual fundraiser, the Queen of Hearts High Tea Luncheon and Fashion Show, is held each year around Valentine’s Day. The event raises both awareness and critical funds for important causes, most recently supporting the advances being made at Levine Cancer Institute.
The American Cancer Society cites breast cancer as the leading cancer diagnosis in women in the United States. To address this issue, highly trained specialists working in Levine Cancer Institute’s Breast and Surgical Oncology Centers (honoring the memory of Barbara L. Levine) offer patients innovative and comprehensive care for detection, treatment, and clinical research of diseases of the breast, both benign and malignant.
The Order of the Daughters of Penelope is an auxiliary of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), and its members are leaders in philanthropic, educational and cultural activities within local chapters in the United States, Canada, Greece and Cyprus.
Pictured (left to right): Dr. Richard White,
Dr. Terry Sarantou, Viola Weber, Eleni Bingham,
Elaine Haskell, Mary Alexis, Kathryn Constantinides,
Dianne Leventis, Zoe Romanos, Pat Economides,
Diane Ramsay and Irene Politis.
A $35,000 gift in 2013 from Don and Betty Anderson, establishing the Don and Betty Anderson Fund for Bladder Cancer Research, will help advance innovative bladder cancer research programs at Carolinas HealthCare System’s Levine Cancer Institute. These programs, led by Steven Riggs, M.D., and Earle Burgess, M.D., will include clinical trials designed to enhance the treatment of metastatic bladder cancer and other studies designed to identify biomarkers that will serve as effective means for earlier detection of this form of cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, over 73,000 people will be diagnosed with bladder cancer this year. In fact, bladder cancer is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S.—fourth among men (after prostate, lung and colon) and 11th among women. In light of these statistics and the impact on those fighting the disease, the Don and Betty Anderson Fund for Bladder Cancer Research meets a growing medical need right here in our own community.
The Anderson family’s gift represents their ongoing commitment to advance healthcare research and educational initiatives at Carolinas HealthCare System. Their significant gift to the Carolinas College of Health Sciences in 2010 established an annual clinical laboratory sciences scholarship in Mrs. Anderson’s name. Betty Anderson served as the Director of the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program at the College for many years.
A generous gift from Betty and Don Anderson
will support bladder cancer research
conducted by Dr. Steven Riggs (left)
and Dr. Earle Burgess (right).
In April 2013, the Paula Takacs Foundation for Sarcoma Research continued its commitment to Levine Cancer Institute through the 3rd Annual Sarcoma Stomp. Nearly 1,000 people gathered at McAlpine Creek Greenway to support the family-friendly 5K run and 3K walk, which raised $158,000. A portion of the proceeds benefits The Paula Takacs Sarcoma Research Fund established at Carolinas HealthCare Foundation.
Sarcoma is a cancer of the connective tissue, which includes muscle, bone, fat and cartilage. The need for sarcoma research is great. At the present time, few treatment protocols specifically designed for sarcoma exist for the more than 15,000 patients diagnosed each year in the U.S. with this rare form of cancer.
Since the first Sarcoma Stomp in 2011, the annual event has raised a cumulative total of over $260,000 to support sarcoma research at Levine Cancer Institute and other distinguished cancer programs. Although Paula Takacs, founder of the Foundation, lost her fight with sarcoma after nine years, her legacy continues as her family and friends carry out a variety of community fundraising initiatives. Paula was an inspiration to many as she bravely turned her own battle in a positive direction by dedicating her time and energy into creating awareness and helping to advance sarcoma research for others.
