Runners in this year’s 50th annual Rocket City Marathon will help purchase a new Kids Care ambulance for the Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children.
The Huntsville Hospital Foundation has been the race beneficiary the last two years. The marathon weekend is put on by the Huntsville Track Club and Kinda Gritty event management.
The club made a donation of more than $115,000 earlier this spring to the foundation. The money was used with other funds to help build a new inclusive, medically-informed therapeutic playground for children at the hospital. It was the first official charitable alignment in the marathon’s 49-year history.
Kids Care ambulances provide specialized transportation and care for critically ill babies and children from hospitals throughout the region to Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. The hospital currently has two Kids Care units that are ready to roll 24 hours a day. They travel more than 100,000 miles annually. Each unit costs more than $325,000. The ambulances serve patients from 22 weeks gestation through age 21.
Race weekend is Dec. 11-13 at the Von Braun Center, with a kids 1-mile, 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon and expo. All events are based in the South Hall. The marathon is sponsored by PNC Bank.
“When a child is critically injured or ill, getting to the right level of care quickly is very important and essential. But not every hospital in the region has the resources or expertise to care for these sick children,” said Tracy Doughty, Senior Vice President of Operations at Huntsville Hospital. “That’s where Kids Care comes in. Our Kids Care team transports more than 700 critically ill children and newborns each year. These highly trained pediatric and neonatal medical teams bring specialized equipment and expertise directly to the patient.
“Serving as an ICU on wheels, they stabilize children and continue providing critical care throughout the journey to Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children. A new ambulance will strengthen this service and help us continue meeting the needs of children across our region. We are grateful to the Rocket City Marathon, its participants, supporters, and the Hospital Foundation for helping make this very important investment in our community.”
PNC Bank came on this year as only the fourth title sponsor in the marathon’s 50-year history. Riley Parker, Senior Vice President and Senior Relationship Strategist for PNC Private Bank, said the community benefits from the efforts of many helping hands.
“At PNC, we believe strong communities grow through partnerships that bring people together and create meaningful impact,” she said. “The Rocket City Marathon is a wonderful example of that spirit. It encourages health and wellness, brings people together from across our community, and creates opportunities to support causes that matter to local families. As title sponsor, PNC is honored to support the race and the people who make it such a lasting part of our community. The new Kids Care Ambulance is a wonderful example of what can happen when community comes together for a shared purpose. It will provide meaningful support to children and families when they need it most, and we are grateful to be a part of making this possible.”
Marathon race director Eric Fritz said the track club “is very pleased to be able to help with the donation that will be used for such critical, important care.” Foundation president Amy George said the donation “is what healthcare philanthropy makes possible” and pointed out the vital need for specialized equipment to help save lives.
“The funds raised through the PNC Rocket City Marathon will help provide a resource that our hospital teams can rely on to care for children during their most critical moments,” George said. “Donors and community partners help our hospitals strengthen care, invest in specialized equipment and respond to the needs of patients and families who depend on them.
“Last year, this marathon raised more than $115,000 for Huntsville Hospital Foundation. That support reflects the collective effort of runners, of volunteers, of the sponsors, and everyone who believes in giving back to this community. We are honored to be the beneficiary again this year of something that is so important to the city of Huntsville, and we are grateful to the Rocket City Marathon team, to PNC and their team, and everyone who helps turn this race into something that reaches far beyond the finish line. Every mile matters, every contribution matters, and together those efforts will help children get the specialized care they need.”
