Radiothon is answering the call to help Children’s Hospital

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - For 22 years, the CSRA has helped a wonderful not-for-profit organization.

We’re participating in the 23rd annual iHeart Media Cares for Kids Radiothon.

This Thursday and Friday, our station will broadcast live from the lobby of the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, telling you how you can a gem in our community.

“The Children’s Hospital of Georgia is the area’s only hospital dedicated exclusively to children,” said Director of Philanthropy Catherine Stewart. “We’ve been treating kids for more than 100 years, but our location downtown opened up in 1998.”

HOW TO HELP:

The 23rd annual iHeart Media Cares for Kids Radiothon is Dec. 7-9. To give call: 706-922-KIDS (5437) or 1-866-412-KIDS (5437) or online. Text CHOG to 51555 to make a donation.

“Every year, about 6,000 kids spend the night at the Children’s Hospital and 90,000 come through the outpatient clinics,” said Stewart. “The Children’s Hospital of Georgia is a not-for-profit hospital, so your is always needed.”

The hospital relies on from the community to be able to provide the programs and services and the tools its physicians and staff need to take care of kids, Stewart said.

Kids like Cooper Dickert, who spent his first year of life living at the hospital. Cooper was born early at 28 weeks and had to have several surgeries, including his first one, which was heart surgery at 6 weeks old.

Chris, Cooper and Christa Dickert(WRDW/WAGT)

His parents, Chris and Christa, said they’re forever grateful for the given to this hospital.

“We want it to be the best place possible, and that just can’t be done without these generous people who are giving to this hospital and allowing for treatments, surgeries, updates and remodeling things like that to make it the best place it can be,” said Cooper’s mom, Christa Dickert. “We don’t want it to just be a Children’s Hospital; we want it to be the best Children’s Hospital.”

For three days, a team will be lined up by a phone ready to take your call. All donations go specifically to the thousands of kids coming through the doors every year.

“Your donations will stay local and help our kids right here in our community and it will help things from research to surgical supplies, but also things to help make the hospital fun for our kids, because – let’s be honest – the health system is not fun for anybody much less little kids,” said Stewart.

If you’re on the fence about ing the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, every donation goes a long way.

“For the average person out there for radiothon, it’s a great chance to something that you may not know about, you may not ever need it, but if you do, you’ll be thankful it’s there,” said Cooper’s dad, Chris Dickert.