Phoenix Children’s Tim Harrison breaks down how Give-A-Thon donations benefit patients

The 2026 Give-A-Thon for Phoenix Children’s is this week and its vice president of corporate partnerships, special events and grants philanthropy broke down the difference donations make for patients and their families.

Tim Harrison explained that in the 18 years the event has been taking place, it has raised more than $27 million, which may seem like a lot until considering how much it costs to run a hospital.

“It’s about $2.7 million a day to run the hospital,” Harrison told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News. “So that $27 million would stretch out 10 days theoretically if you sort of lumped it all together. It’s a very expensive operation.”

The vice president also emphasized that Phoenix’s Children’s has expanded from a hospital into a health system with around 40 hospitals, clinics and medical offices around the state, in addition to its main campus off State Route 51.

The money given during Give-A-Thon week goes into the Hope Fund, an unrestricted fund that allows the organization to focus its efforts where they’re needed most, according to Harrison.

“It helps with capital campaigns to build these new facilities. It helps where families are maybe just struggling a little bit and don’t have full coverage by insurance or they’re only partially covered or when you’re into something really expensive. It will bridge the gap there,” Harrison said. “The child comes first. No matter what. It doesn’t matter where you show up from. It doesn’t matter what your socioeconomic status is, it’s really taking care of that child.”

It also aids the system in recruiting the best talent from around the nation to support families, technology and innovation.

He added that, on top of that, it supports social work programs that bring the patients joy, such as purchasing teddy bears and toys as well as operating playrooms.

Additionally, the funds help the system ensure it has the tools needed to treat patients.

“You don’t just sort of shrink things down because it’s a child. It’s specialist equipment,” Harrison said. “So everything, the whole setup of the enterprise and everything that we do is geared up and built around a pediatric patient. And it is really zero through 21.”

Harrison emphasized that in some cases of complex care or treatments, the healthcare system will stand by patients into adulthood to support them and their families on the journey.

How can donations be made to the Phoenix Children’s Give-A-Thon?

Community members can donate to the Give-A-Thon in three different ways:

• Through the Give-A-Thon donations page
• Calling 602-933-4567
• Texting GIVE to 620620

The fundraiser kicked off Monday and runs through Friday.  Last year, the KTAR News and Arizona Sports radiothon, presented by Your Valley Hyundai Dealers and Yrefy, raised $2.45 million.

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