Lexi Roberts, 2022 Executive Director
CFTK Family and Friends,
Hello!
I am thrilled to introduce myself and lead you all into the 2021-2022 year for the Carolina For The Kids Foundation. After 23 years, I am still in awe of the continuous support we have received and couldn’t be more thankful for the outpouring of love we felt despite a year enveloped by the pandemic. Moving into the 2021-2022 year, we are ready for the challenge ahead and are hopeful that this year will be a pivotal step in expanding our outreach to those in our community as well as the children and families we work to support.
Carolina For The Kids aims to fulfill a niche role in our community through connecting UNC students, our Chapel Hill community, and UNC Children’s. Our mission as an organization is to provide major emotional, medical, and financial support to the patients and families of UNC Children’s, which provides a foundational goal for our members to strive for and enable them to successfully serve others along the way. Beyond serving our community and the patients and families of UNC Children’s, we work to provide an environment where students can flourish and find comfort in developing leadership skills that will last a lifetime.
Despite challenging circumstances, 2020 and 2021 have proven to be profound years of organizational growth. We launched our first virtual Kilometers For The Kids race which included a 1 Mile Fun Run, 5K, and 10K as well as a virtual Benefit Reception which allowed us to increase the accessibility of our organization to those beyond our local community. Our year culminated in our first 12-Hour Virtual Dance Marathon which served as a beautiful depiction of unity and the cause we all serve so faithfully. It represented the connection we all desired during our most challenging days, but served as an inspiring reminder that the work we do every day, with your support, brings a tenant of connectedness to the patients and families we assist.
We continue to fund direct aid to families through the For The Kids Fund and a weekly free meal for families at Parent’s Night Out. Our other funding areas include the Carolina For The Kids grant, the Carolina For The Kids research grant, funding for the Children’s Play Atrium, and funding for the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill. We are also incredibly proud to have funded the renovation of the N.C. Children’s Hospital PICU Waiting Room and the sponsorship of the Urgent Care Waiting Room and Recreational and Pet Therapy Room at the UNC Children’s Raleigh Clinic. We are continuing to find new and creative ways to provide support to the patients and their families in this time of heightened need.
To our dancers, donors, runners, volunteers, and committee members -- thank you! None of our accomplishments would be possible without each and every one of you! You are truly the reason we are able to do all that we do and are the reason for our continued success. It brings me so much joy to see the impact you all continue to make and inspires me to ensure our organization continues to grow in a manner that best serves those that have proudly represented and supported CFTK.
As we enter our 24th year, we will keep our mission statement at the center of all we do. This year has already brought new challenges, new members of our community, more patients and families, exciting accomplishments, and so much more! I am so grateful to lead an organization as profound as CFTK and I vow to devote my daily pursuits to serving Carolina For The Kids to the best of my ability. CFTK has provided me with strength, comfort, and so much joy over the last three years and I have made it my personal goal to ensure these feelings are reciprocated in our UNC community and for the patients and families we aid. We cannot do all that we do without your help, so we can’t wait to see how you will continue to support the kids this year! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or anyone else on our Executive Board if you have any questions or wish to get involved with CFTK this year!
Always Carolina For The Kids,
Lexi Roberts
2022 Executive Director
Hello!
I am thrilled to introduce myself and lead you all into the 2021-2022 year for the Carolina For The Kids Foundation. After 23 years, I am still in awe of the continuous support we have received and couldn’t be more thankful for the outpouring of love we felt despite a year enveloped by the pandemic. Moving into the 2021-2022 year, we are ready for the challenge ahead and are hopeful that this year will be a pivotal step in expanding our outreach to those in our community as well as the children and families we work to support.
Carolina For The Kids aims to fulfill a niche role in our community through connecting UNC students, our Chapel Hill community, and UNC Children’s. Our mission as an organization is to provide major emotional, medical, and financial support to the patients and families of UNC Children’s, which provides a foundational goal for our members to strive for and enable them to successfully serve others along the way. Beyond serving our community and the patients and families of UNC Children’s, we work to provide an environment where students can flourish and find comfort in developing leadership skills that will last a lifetime.
Despite challenging circumstances, 2020 and 2021 have proven to be profound years of organizational growth. We launched our first virtual Kilometers For The Kids race which included a 1 Mile Fun Run, 5K, and 10K as well as a virtual Benefit Reception which allowed us to increase the accessibility of our organization to those beyond our local community. Our year culminated in our first 12-Hour Virtual Dance Marathon which served as a beautiful depiction of unity and the cause we all serve so faithfully. It represented the connection we all desired during our most challenging days, but served as an inspiring reminder that the work we do every day, with your support, brings a tenant of connectedness to the patients and families we assist.
We continue to fund direct aid to families through the For The Kids Fund and a weekly free meal for families at Parent’s Night Out. Our other funding areas include the Carolina For The Kids grant, the Carolina For The Kids research grant, funding for the Children’s Play Atrium, and funding for the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill. We are also incredibly proud to have funded the renovation of the N.C. Children’s Hospital PICU Waiting Room and the sponsorship of the Urgent Care Waiting Room and Recreational and Pet Therapy Room at the UNC Children’s Raleigh Clinic. We are continuing to find new and creative ways to provide support to the patients and their families in this time of heightened need.
To our dancers, donors, runners, volunteers, and committee members -- thank you! None of our accomplishments would be possible without each and every one of you! You are truly the reason we are able to do all that we do and are the reason for our continued success. It brings me so much joy to see the impact you all continue to make and inspires me to ensure our organization continues to grow in a manner that best serves those that have proudly represented and supported CFTK.
As we enter our 24th year, we will keep our mission statement at the center of all we do. This year has already brought new challenges, new members of our community, more patients and families, exciting accomplishments, and so much more! I am so grateful to lead an organization as profound as CFTK and I vow to devote my daily pursuits to serving Carolina For The Kids to the best of my ability. CFTK has provided me with strength, comfort, and so much joy over the last three years and I have made it my personal goal to ensure these feelings are reciprocated in our UNC community and for the patients and families we aid. We cannot do all that we do without your help, so we can’t wait to see how you will continue to support the kids this year! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or anyone else on our Executive Board if you have any questions or wish to get involved with CFTK this year!
Always Carolina For The Kids,
Lexi Roberts
2022 Executive Director