Concerts, limited edition sushi. Here’s how you can support Jackson Health’s campaign
A concert at the Doral Yard. A limited edition “Jackson Roll” at select Sushi Sake restaurants. A special half-time segment at Thursday’s the Miami Heat game.
Businesses across Miami-Dade County are repping Jackson Health System on Thursday, hosting events and donating portions of their earnings to help support the public hospital system’s new fundraising campaign. People can also donate directly to Jackson online at OneDayForJackson.org.
While people can donate year-round to Jackson, Thursday marks the official launch of One Day for Jackson. The new annual fundraising campaign is meant to help Miami-Dade’s taxpayer-funded public hospital system raise money to support upcoming projects and initiatives, including a $300 million project to renovate and expand its ER into one of the largest in the nation.
“We are here for everyone in Miami-Dade County 365 days a year and today we would like the community to be here for us,” Jackson Health CEO Carlos Migoya said Thursday morning ahead of a concert that kicked off the fundraising campaign at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Miami campus.
Musicians play at Jackson during the winter months as part of a collaboration among Jackson Health System, the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs and the Miami Jazz Cooperative. Thursday’s performance by the Ben Beal Quartet was not only the final performance for this year’s season, but it also served as the kickoff event for One Day for Jackson.
So far, the fundraiser has raised nearly half a million dollars since the donation portal opened in February, Flavia Llizo, co-president and chief development officer for the Jackson Health Foundation, told the Miami Herald.
The fundraiser is hosted by the Jackson Health Foundation, the hospital system’s philanthropic arm. Jackson, a not-for-profit health system, is a safety-net hospital, which means anyone can get care at Jackson’s facilities, regardless of their ability to pay. The hospital system gets millions in funding from Miami-Dade County taxpayers to help it operate. The Jackson Health Foundation says it raises funds “to fill the gaps of major capital projects and programmatic needs that cannot be financed by taxpayer dollars.”
For Jackson employee Patricia Fusco and her husband Andrew Fusco, the fundraising campaign is a chance to give back to the hospital that saved their son’s life. Jackson doctors and staff helped save the life of their son Joseph Patrick, 2, who was born prematurely.
“We get to celebrate our miracle every single day of our lives. ... And so today we’re paying it back to Jackson, for the miracle that they help us celebrate every single day,” Patrica Fusco told the Herald on Thursday while waiting for the concert to start.
Here are some photos from Jackson’s One Day for Jackson kickoff event:
How to support Jackson
A variety of events will be happening Thursday across Miami-Dade to help support Jackson. Llizo said some places will be showing their support through the end of the month, too. Some activities to expect:
▪ The Doral Yard in downtown Doral will be hosting a concert at 7 p.m. Thursday to help raise money for the hospital. Anyone who donates $10 or more will receive a drink ticket. People who donate will also be entered into a raffle.
▪ Fans who go to Thursday’s Miami Heat vs. the Philadelphia 76ers game at the Kaseya Center in downtown Miami will see a special half-time segment related to One Day for Jackson, along with other activities throughout the game to help raise funds for the hospital.
▪ Dadeland Mall, The Falls and International Mall will have “activation stations” until 5 p.m. Thursday offering giveaways, special promotions and opportunities to support the hospital. Other businesses including Shake Shack, Kings Dining and Entertainment in Doral and Five Guys will be donating a portions of their earnings to the hospital.
▪ Select Sushi Sake locations are selling a special “Jackson Roll” April 4-11 , with 100% of proceeds going to Jackson. Check the website for location information.
How to donate
To learn more about the fundraiser campaign and to donate, visit OneDayForJackson.org. You’ll also find on the website a list of events and promotions in the county, including with local businesses, to help support the hospital.
This story was originally published April 4, 2024 at 4:21 PM.
