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12/4/15 news article

Dayton Children’s biplane icon now on display at Carillon Park

statue honors community support for the Reaching New Heights to Transform Care Capital Campaign

As families visit and enjoy Ohio’s largest tree of light at Carillon Park this holiday season, they can also stop inside the Heritage Center to snap a photo with Dayton Children’s iconic statue. Nestled next to a vintage soapbox car in the carousel room at Carillon Park’s Heritage Center, Dayton Children’s statue of a biplane now shares space with some of the city’s greatest pieces of history. The statue will live there in honor of the community’s support for Dayton Children’s Hospital Reaching New Heights to Transform Care Capital Campaign.

biplane

The icon was unveiled in October as part of the historic fundraising campaign that will transform care for local kids by helping build the new eight-story patient tower in the center of Dayton Children’s main campus. Throughout Dayton Children’s rich history, philanthropy has always played a major role. The capital campaign will contribute a minimum of $25 million to the $153 million cost of the project. In a short period of time, major donors, physicians and employees at Dayton Children’s have already donated more than $21 million to the campaign. Thanks to excellent financial stewardship, the rest of the project will be covered by cash reserves and financing.

As a reminder of Dayton Children’s commitment to the community, the hospital commissioned statues that will be showcased at various locations around the region. The 400 pound monuments will each represent an icon from the new “things that fly” design theme of the patient tower and be decorated by Dayton Children’s patients. The first statue is a bi-plane that honors Dayton’s aviation heritage. Future icons will include a shooting star and a humming bird, among others.

“We hope every time you see these statues, that you will remember how vital it is that we ensure every child in the region has a great children’s hospital close to home, to provide the quality health care our kids deserve,” says Deborah A. Feldman, president and CEO of Dayton Children’s. “With the community’s support, we will be able to create a lasting legacy for children for generations to come.”

To learn more about the Reaching New Heights capital campaign and donate, log on to transformcare.childrensdayton.org. Families can also be a part of the community campaign by taking a photo with the statue and posting it on social media, tagging @DaytonChildrens and using #TransformCare.

About the tower

Dayton Children’s broke ground on the 260,000 square foot patient tower in August 2014. The project will transform care by providing:

  • Better outcomes: The newly designed Newborn Intensive Care Unit will feature single-family rooms allowing for an enhanced care experience for our tiniest patients.
  • Continuity of care: For the first time, the Mills Family Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center will combine inpatient and outpatient care in one location.
  • Life-saving technology: The new Wallace Critical Care Complex will allow for more space for critical technology while maximizing efficiency and improving patient safety.
  • Optimal healing environment: Patients requiring an overnight stay will benefit from the enhanced general pediatrics inpatient unit which will feature larger single-family rooms, improved technology and upgraded family amenities.

“This project is about so much more than bricks and mortar,” says Feldman. “It’s about reaching new heights in pediatric health care for the children of our region. Strong support from the community will take this project from good to great – helping fulfill Dayton Children’s commitment to patients and families to provide the very best care

For more information, contact:

Stacy Porter

Communications specialist

Phone: 937-641-3666

newsroom@childrensdayton.org