SAN DIEGO – August 27, 2024 – The inpatient hematology/oncology unit at Rady Children’s leading Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders has been named the Panda Cares Center of Hope in honor of nearly two decades of outstanding philanthropic partnership from Panda Express.
The company and its more than 75 San Diego restaurant locations have raised more than $5 million to support programs and services at Rady Children’s since 2007 and have pledged to raise an additional $8.5 million by 2030 through round up at the register and employee giving programs. For 17 years, Panda Express and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals have partnered together to change kids’ health, change the future. To date, Panda has raised more than $150 million for hospitals affiliated with CMN Hospitals, including Rady Children’s.
“Panda Express exemplifies genuine care for the communities it serves and puts its values into action,” says Steve Jennings, Rady Children’s chief external affairs officer and executive director of Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Its leadership and associates’ 17 years of dedicated partnership with Rady Children’s has sustained and expanded key specialty and support programs vital to improving the health of local children.”
Panda Express has directly benefitted multiple areas of specialized care and support for children in the San Diego region, including physical and occupational therapies and developmental evaluation, as well as Child Life, spiritual and Palliative Care services that deliver psychosocial supports, helping patients and families cope with diagnoses and navigate their care journeys. Nearly 300,000 children and families are supported by these programs each year, including 15,000 braving childhood cancer within the Panda Cares Center of Hope.
“We are proud to partner with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to bring the vision of the Panda Cares Center of Hope to life and are humbled to be a part of the healing journey for the families and kids at these hospitals,” said Dr. Peggy Cherng, co-founder and co-CEO of Panda Restaurant Group. “Children are our future and through this partnership and curriculum designed to give children the strength to thrive, we will bring smiles and hope to communities nationwide.”
Beneficiary programs are intentionally selected in alignment with Panda Express’ four “pillars” of philanthropic focus within health care: those that meet the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs of patients. This ethos parallels Rady Children’s commitment to compassionate, comprehensive care for the whole child.
“Patients, families, care teams and visitors will be filled with hope at the doors of this healing space,” says Jennings, “a special kind of hope that comes from knowing an entire community is behind the kids receiving best-in-class care here—cheering them on and doing everything they can to ensure they can have the futures they dream of. We are deeply grateful to Panda Express for making critically important wraparound support possible for children facing childhood illness.”
About Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego
Ranked as one of the 10 best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News and World Report for 2023-2024, Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego includes a 511-bed pediatric hospital that serves as the largest provider of comprehensive pediatric medical services in San Diego, southern Riverside and Imperial counties. With more than 40 locations, Rady Children’s is the only health system in the San Diego area dedicated exclusively to pediatric health care and is the region’s only designated pediatric trauma center. Rady Children’s is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations to support its mission. For more information, visit rchsd.org and find us on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.
About Panda Express
On a mission to inspire better lives, Panda Express® is the largest Asian dining concept in the US. Family-owned and operated since 1983 by Co-Founders and Co-CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng, Panda Express is best known as a trailblazer for creating a wide variety of industry-first recipes, including its best seller the Original Orange Chicken® and award-winning Honey Walnut Shrimp, which have defined the category of authentic American Chinese cuisine. Each dish at Panda Express is thoughtfully crafted with quality ingredients and inspired by bold Chinese flavors and culinary principles. The restaurant brand has more than 2,500 locations and has introduced American Chinese cuisine to 11 international countries.
Powered by a global family of associates, Panda Cares®, Panda’s philanthropic arm, has raised more than $375 million and has dedicated countless volunteer hours in bettering the health and education for over 15 million youth, as well as supporting communities in need since 1999. In 2021, Panda Express established the Panda CommUnity Fund — a five-year, $10 million community investment and response program that supports immediate and sustainable solutions from national and local organizations to uplift diverse groups, including people of color and other marginalized communities. For more information about Panda, visit pandaexpress.com, or find us on Facebook, Instagram, X and Tik Tok.
About Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® raises funds for 170 children’s hospitals that support the health of 10 million kids each year across the U.S. and Canada. Donations go to local hospitals to fund critical life-saving treatments and healthcare services, along with innovative research, vital pediatric medical equipment, child life services that put kids’ and families’ minds at ease during difficult hospital stays and financial assistance for families who could not otherwise afford these health services. When we improve the health of all children and allow them the opportunity to reach their full potential, we also improve our communities for years to come. Together, we can change kids’ health. Together, we can change the future. To learn about Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and your local children’s hospital, visit cmnhospitals.org.
