Every spring since 2003, local Wawa stores have collected funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals through a three-week scan campaign and coin collection program. Since the program began, $136,609 has been raised including $37,577 in the last two years. Wawa associates also volunteer at CMN Hospitals events including last year’s 36 Hours for Kids Radiothon where 30 company volunteers answered phones and provided breakfast.

In addition, the Wawa Foundation recently supported Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR) through two grants to Children’s Hospital Foundation (CHF). In 2016, CHF received $50,000 from the Wawa Foundation to support the CHF Heart Center, and in 2017, CHF received $100,000 to support increased staffing levels for respiratory therapy services on the hospital’s acute care pediatric units.

Respiratory therapists provide specialized services such as airway clearance therapy, oxygen administration, and administration of nebulized and aerosolized medication. They also provide special instruction to patients and families for administering these medications at home and other helpful education for chronic diseases like asthma. Richmond consistently ranks in the top three for most asthmatic cities in the United States according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. In addition to providing better care for children in the hospital, increasing respiratory therapy staffing levels has the potential to reduce the rate of hospital readmission for children with asthma.