15th Annual Christmas in July Donation Drive Underway at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital

Christmas in July helps bring the magic of the holidays to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital patients all year long. The annual donation drive provides funding for special therapies, activities and toys that help kids cope with being in the hospital.

When a cancer diagnosis, traumatic injury or serious medical condition replaces a child’s carefree days with chemotherapy treatments, needle pricks, surgeries and long hospital stays, it can be a lot to deal with.

“The support we receive from the Christmas in July campaign enables us to provide the children we serve with the special attention and added comfort that is just as important to their healing as the world-class medical care they are receiving,” said St. Joseph's Children's Hospital President Sarah Naumowich.

Christmas in July contributions help support the hospital’s art, yoga, music and massage therapies, which provide an important outlet for kids to express their feelings and better manage stress and anxiety.

The donations also help provide creative and entertaining bedside activities, which greatly benefit patients on isolation who are not able to visit the hospital’s playrooms, as well as prize bin items, birthday and holiday presents, and much more. The presenting sponsor for this year's fundraiser is the Steinbrenner Family Foundation.

"Christmas in July offers employee engagement to companies in our community as well as our own team members, and the opportunity to teach children about the importance of philanthropy - all to benefit our St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital patients and their families when they need it the most," St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Foundation President Kate Sawa said.

New this year, a drop-off location at St. Joseph's Hospital-South to bring comfort and joy to the growing number of pediatric patients in the South Shore community. 

Want to join the Christmas in July donation drive to help hospitalized children in our community? Here’s how you can make a difference:

• Help brighten the spirits of hospitalized kids by becoming a sponsor online at StJosephsChristmas.org. Monetary donations can be made in any denomination and are greatly appreciated. 
  
  
• Join the Christmas in July Challenge and invite your community to get involved. Create our own fundraising page, get help hosting your own toy drive and more here.
  
  
• Become one of our community partners – get your customers involved in Christmas in July through a donation of percentage of sales, register campaigns and spirit nights.   
  
  
• Drop off toys and monetary donations during our Christmas in July grand-finale celebration on Friday, July 28 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview.

For more information about Christmas in July, contact St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital’s Foundation at (813) 872-0979 or visit StJosephsChristmas.org.