AKRON, Ohio - Akron Children’s Hospital recently received $200,000 from the Emerging Leaders, an advisory board that supports the hospital.
The money was raised at the group’s annual Dancing for the Kids event. It will go toward the Showers Family Center’s School and Community Oncology Outreach Program.
“The total amount raised this year is truly incredible,” said Showers Family Center Director Dr. Jeffrey Hord, in a news release. “With these funds we’ll be able to expand school support for our patients including the addition of a high school math teacher, which is a need identified by our teen patients and their parents.”
The event raised $181,760. To bring the total to $200,000, Paul Perantinides donated the difference. Perantinides’ godson, Pano Tsarouhas, was treated for Ewing sarcoma at the Showers Family Center. Tsarouhas was a dancer at the event.
“The success of Dancing for the Kids this year was beyond anything I could have imagined,” said Parker Berry, an Emerging Leaders member and chair of the event, in the release. “We could not have done that without the incredible support of the community, the outstanding fundraising our dancers did and the generosity of Mr. Perantinides.”
The event is held each year at the Akron Civic Theatre and brings together local celebrities with dance students from the University of Akron for an evening of performances.
Residents vote for their favorites at the event or online, through donations.
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