A Carnival Unlike Any Other

The KID Fund was created in 1979 by a caring group of staff at Franciscan Children’s (formerly known as Kennedy Memorial Hospital). Short for Kennedy Involvement Drive, money from the KID Fund helps to cover the cost of items that are not funded by insurance and are beyond the resources of our families, as well as to brighten the lives of our children on a daily basis.  Designed especially for children who can’t safely get to an event like a carnival, our staff brings it to them.

True to its roots, the majority of the funding for the KID Fund comes from our extraordinary hospital staff. Numerous annual fundraisers are held in the form of raffles, yard sales, payroll donations and other efforts to ensure that the Fund continues to serve our children and families. Other resources stem from various outlets, primarily our generous corporate partners. Most recently, the 2014 Community Leadership Award Dinner and Gala raised over $40,000 for the Kid Fund, thanks to numerous generous donors.

Each year on the last Friday in July a celebration is held at Franciscan Children’s, bringing together staff, children, families and guests for a day of laughter and fun. The celebration is known as the Annual Kid Fund Carnival, an event started in 2001 as a reincarnation of an earlier spring fair. Today, the Carnival is planned as a means for every child at Franciscan to benefit from the KID Fund.

Planning for the Carnival begins in late winter and continues through the countdown to July. The KID Fund Committee, comprised of staff representing various hospital departments, make calls to key contacts, send save the date notices and finalize the details that make it such a special day. Ginny Sennott, our Family Liaison and Guest Relations Coordinator, chairs the Committee. “It’s a huge effort on the part of our staff to not only come up with the funding but to plan the Carnival itself,” Ginny notes. “They do it all for the kids and their families, and they do it with smiles.”

From a big top tent and tables, to artists and performers, to t-shirts, to food and volunteers, we do our best to create an authentic Carnival atmosphere on our campus. Many of our corporate partners have been working with us since the beginning of the Carnival to help make the event a reality each year. Those that spend the day of the Carnival with us can often be mistaken for children themselves, laughing and enjoying the Carnival festivities along with our kids and staff.

Year after year, the support for the Carnival is overwhelming. From the staff members who dedicate countless planning hours and resources, to the corporate partners who help make the event possible, to our children and families who can step away from their day-to-day routines and simply enjoy themselves, the KID Fund Carnival is truly a team effort. “We get requests almost immediately after the Carnival each year from staff looking to get involved,” Ginny says. “It’s an effort and an event that really represents Franciscan at its best.”

Thank you to Ginny and the rest of the KID Fund Committee for their tireless efforts to brighten the lives of our children and their families. A special thank you to Jonathan Parkhurst, who was honored at this year’s carnival for his support of the Kid Fund and his incredible commitment to our children and families.

To make a donation to the Kid Fund, please visit our Donate Today page and specify “Kid Fund” in the “Please direct my donation to” field.