ALBANY — Charity Denim, a non-profit that partners with organizations to drum up funds for worthy causes, recently gave some assistance to Children’s Miracle Network.
Phoebe Northwest hosted a fundraiser featuring a sale of designer jeans from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday to benefit the organization.
“We are a non-profit that partners with other non-profits,” explained Raina Greene, Southeast event coordinator for Charity Denim. “It’s a fun way to raise money and it brings people together.”
Participants were able to select from up to 30 different high-end designer jean labels for women and men, as well as a few tops. Designer labels included True Religion, Seven, William Rast, People’s Liberation, Rock and Republic, Paige Denim, J. Brand, Hudson, among others.
Within the first hour, 200-300 people were estimated to have come through the door.
“We’ve had a great response from the community,” said Donna Lyn Goodpasture, Children’s Miracle Network coordinator at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. “You can’t get this great a deal anywhere else.
“It’s just a unique fundraiser for the area.”
All jeans were marked 40-60 percent off regular retail prices. There were close to 1,000 pairs available for purchase at the event.
Lindsay Bridges, a nurse in Phoebe’s NICU, was one of the shoppers present at Phoebe Northwest Wednesday. She said she has seen firsthand the need for such a fundraiser.
“This is raising money for a good cause,” she said. “I’m hoping we raise a lot of money. This is a creative and unique way to raise money, and everyone needs jeans.”
Wednesday was the first time such an event had been held in the area. There are plans to host another denim fundraiser later in the year, Goodpasture said.
Children’s Miracle Network is the alliance of 170 premier children’s hospitals. Every year, Children’s Miracle Network hospitals treat 17 million children for every disease and injury imaginable. As a Children’s Miracle Network hospital, Phoebe provides care and preventative education for children daily.
Since 1997, Children’s Miracle Network supporters have raised more than $2 million to provide specialized equipment and programs to help babies and children treated at the hospital. These funds have purchased technical equipment to help treat Phoebe’s critically ill newborns, and have also purchased therapeutic toys to aid children in pediatric speech, occupational and physical therapies.
