In-person Events Returned

In 2022, Children’s of Alabama brought back several events in person that we had been offering only virtually or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The Superhero Window Washers event returned for the first time since 2019 (see video above). Superman, Wonder Woman and others rappelled down the side of the building for patients to see. 
• The Sugar Plum Shop returned, giving parents and caregivers of hospitalized children the opportunity to shop for Christmas gifts, at no cost to them, for their patient and his/her siblings. 
• The Health Education and Safety Center brought back two events in person: 
• The team resumed its in-person car seat clinic, welcoming parents back to the Children’s campus to learn about car seat safety.
• In the fall, the team offered three in-person URKEYS2DRV events—in Florence, Oxford and Mobile—to educate teens about safe driving.

New Events

Grandparent Baby Safety Course
The Health Education and Safety Center introduced a new safety course—Infant and Baby Safety for Grandparents. Safety experts from around the hospital taught the course live via Zoom and then made it available on the Children’s YouTube page. In the course, experts offered advice to grandparents on some of the most common situations caretakers might experience.

Milk and Cookies
Children’s kicked off a three-year partnership with Chick-fil-A Birmingham to bring a little joy to the lives of patients in the hospital around the holidays (see video above). Held in conjunction with the Sugar Plum Shop, this event gave patients the chance to participate in activities the week leading up to Christmas. They also received gifts and goodies, including milk and cookies on Christmas Eve. 

Jerry Tracey’s Day of Giving
On December 1, WVTM 13 viewers, employees and the central Alabama community joined together for Jerry Tracey's Day of Giving Telethon benefiting Children’s of Alabama. Tracey was a co-host for the Children’s Miracle Network telethons benefiting Children’s of Alabama from 1989 until they ended in 2006. In October, he announced his retirement from WVTM after 35 years as chief meteorologist at the station. In honor of his retirement, the station hosted Jerry Tracey’s Day of Giving to benefit current patients at Children’s.

Observances

In 2022, Children’s recognized Black History Month (February), Women’s History Month (March) and Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15–October 15) with social media and internal communication campaigns featuring some of our employees and their stories.