Kentucky Children’s Hospital Receives More than $450,000 from Speedway
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 25, 2021) – UK HealthCare’s Kentucky Children’s Hospital recently received a donation of $452,118.01 from multiple Speedway stores across Kentucky.
Each store supporting Kentucky Children’s Hospital raised an average of $5,680.71, more than double the national average of $2,490. More than $22,000 of the funds came from just one local Lexington Speedway location. Bertie Jointer, the manager of Speedway #9651 in Lexington, raised $22,473.44 for Kentucky Children’s Hospital in 2020, becoming the number two fundraising location for Speedway in the country. Jointer knows from personal experience the importance of giving back.
“Children's Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart,” Jointer said. “I have a little sister that I wouldn’t have today if it weren’t for Kentucky Children’s Hospital.”
Since its CMN Hospitals partnership began in 1988, Speedway has raised more than $133 million for children’s hospitals across the country, with $6.2 million going to Kentucky Children’s Hospital.
CMN Hospitals provides more than $1 million to Kentucky Children’s Hospital each year, with more than 45 partner businesses supporting the hospital annually through their CMN Hospitals campaigns. The partnership provides Kentucky Children’s Hospital with funding for many initiatives, including life-saving treatments, research and help for families who need financial assistance.
Thanks to Speedway’s fundraising efforts, the Developmental Pediatrics team at Kentucky Children’s Hospital plans to welcome three new professionals — helping more children and families across the Bluegrass live healthier, happier lives. This program coordinates care for children diagnosed with various developmental conditions, such as ADHD, autism and intellectual disabilities.
"We are honored to have generous community partners like Speedway and Bertie Jointer,” said Dr. Scottie B. Day, physician-in-chief at Kentucky Children’s Hospital. “Their commitment to the Commonwealth supports our efforts in helping our kids live happier, healthier lives and get back to being kids."
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.