Walmart and Sam’s Club Help Kids Live Better in Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana

Walmart and Sam’s Clubs are once again helping raise funds for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. On June 22, Walmart and Sam’s Club associates kicked off the 33rd annual #HelpKidsLiveBetter fundraising campaign for their local CMN Hospitals. Funds raised at Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana locations support the greatest needs at Lurie Children’s.  The campaign gives customers and members several ways to donate at the register or online.

Since 1987, this campaign has raised more than $1 billion for CMN Hospitals across North America, with $24.3 million raised for Lurie Children’s since 1988. Last year, 109 locations raised over $640,000.

Top fundraising locations for 2019 included:

1. Walmart 1479 (2400 Morthland Drive, Valparaiso, IN)
2. Walmart 844 (33 E US Route 6, Morris, IL)
3. Walmart 1413 (1205 S IL Route 31, Crystal Lake, IL)
4. Walmart 5617 (4626 W. Diversey Ave., Chicago, IL)
5. Walmart 1897 (801 Meacham Road, Elk Grove Village, IL)

The 2019 top fundraising locations for Sam’s Club included:

1. Sam’s Club 6384 (9500 Joliet Road, Hodgkins, IL)
2. Sam’s Club 6464 (101 W. Oakton Street, Des Plaines, IL)
3. Sam’s Club 6444 (2450 Main Street, Evanston, IL)
4. Sam’s Club 6388 (1050 Ogden Ave., Montgomery, IL)
5. Sam’s Club 6358 (141 W. North Ave., Northlake, IL)

Children’s hospitals across the United States are dealing with the impacts of COVID-19 in a variety of ways. Donations made at Walmart and Sam’s Club locations this year will be especially useful in supporting Lurie Children’s to continue to meet the needs of patients and families during this time. Thanks to unrestricted funding support from partners like Walmart and Sam’s Club, Lurie Children’s is uniquely positioned to respond to this type of situation.

By fundraising, Walmart and Sam’s Club associates are helping ensure that Lurie Children’s will always be there for the over 250,000 kids and families Lurie Children’s serves each year. The efforts of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals partners like Walmart and Sam’s Club locally support caregivers, scientists, therapists and other team members who are working around-the-clock through this pandemic.

For many Walmart and Sam’s Club associates, the fundraising they do for CMN Hospitals is personal. Joe Vorrier has been involved in leading fundraising efforts at the Valparaiso Walmart for 6 years.

“When I visited Lurie Children’s, I was able to see what we were supporting first hand.  At that point, having children of my own, it became personal, knowing that if anything were to happen to them, there was a place and people that would give the best care and support available.”

“The feeling is genuine, a feeling of gratitude, that a complete stranger making a supportive donation can make such a huge impact in the life of another person.” – Joe Vorrier, Walmart 1479, Valparaiso Assistant Manager

Joe along with his team, including Store Manager Mo Zeinalpour and People Lead Kay Smith, were awarded the title of 2019 Team of the Year for their efforts and success in last year’s campaign. Their location was #1 in the entire Walmart Region 25 and the 67th highest location in the U.S. for 2019.

There are a few ways a Walmart customer or Sam’s Club member in Chicagoland or Northwest Indiana can donate to Lurie Children’s. They can donate at any register in the store or club, including at self-checkout kiosks. They can also donate online at www.HelpKidsLiveBetter.org. In July, customers can round up their total support their local CMN Hospital on orders with Walmart.com and the Walmart app. The fundraising campaign runs through July 19.

Thank you to all Walmart and Sam’s Club associates, customers and members who are making a difference in the lives of patients and families at Lurie Children’s!