Local students donate cards to Clinical Center pediatric patients

The fifth graders from Bethesda's Carderock Springs Elementary School delivered handmade cards and puzzles to NIH Clinical Center in December 2016. Mitchell Brown and Lyla Anzelone with more than 20 classmates filled the poster boards with well wishes and holiday greetings for the Clinical Center pediatric patients.

Dr. John I. Gallin, NIH associate director for Clinical Research and chief scientific officer, Clinical Center (in lab coat), welcomed Matthew Ghaman, Carderock teacher and Student Government Association (SGA) advisor (top row, left), and talked to students and parents about the research at the Clinical Center. The schools SGA raised $5,811.38 for the Clinical Center Patient Emergency Fund, through their fundraising campaign called "Penny Wars. They organized the school into competitive teams, with children from all classrooms bringing in spare change and doing the calculations. The CC Patient Emergency Fund operates through the Social Work Department that provides periodic limited emergency financial assistance to selected patients and family members.

"For numerous years the children at the Carderock Elementary School in Bethesda have held a "Penny Wars" campaign to raise money to support pediatric patients at the Clinical Center. And every year they have raised more money! We are very lucky to have such special young partners to help the children and their families who participate in our clinical research studies," said Dr. John I. Gallin.