Annual Event Raises Funds to Support Urology Research and Care

Cheers for CHOP, an annual fundraiser to support Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, recently raised more than $775,000 to support research and care provided by our Division of Urology. The event is hosted by the Friends of CHOP, a dynamic group of passionate supporters who are committed to vibrant fundraising efforts that help the hospital advance its mission to provide exemplary care to patients, advance innovative research and share knowledge with the world. Over the past seven years, Cheers for CHOP has raised more than $4.5 million to benefit CHOP programs such as Pulmonary Medicine, Child Life and Orthopaedics.

This year’s event was held in February and brought together more than 600 of Philadelphia’s most social and philanthropic young influencers for a night of live music, cocktails, dancing and an incredible silent auction. The evening featured entertainment by Philadelphia’s own DJ Jazzy Jeff. Funds raised will advance critical research and empower our pediatric urologists to provide the most advanced care so our patients experience long-term quality of life.

As the first program of its kind in the nation, our Division of Urology at CHOP treats the most complex urology conditions in the world and is at the forefront of improving the lives of children with these painful, emotionally devastating and life-limiting disorders. Consistently ranked as one of the top programs in the country, our program has pioneered new techniques and treatment options. These innovations include refining organ sparing surgery for the effective treatment of kidney, bladder and genital tumors; ways to decrease the frequency and pain of kidney stones, and the development of complex surgeries to improve outcomes and reduce suffering for babies born with bladder exstrophy, ureteral obstruction, hypospadias and neuropathic bladder. We are also racing to develop programs to preserve fertility in children with cancer.

“This incredibly generous gift will propel our team to new discoveries in a broad variety of pediatric urological disease,” says Division Chief Douglas Canning, MD. “We will put these funds toward an endowed chair that will support the study of large populations of afflicted children both in the United States and abroad. This work will help reduce the pain and suffering for boys and girls with kidney stone disease and chronic kidney failure due to urological developmental defects. It will also drive the development of novel medical and surgical therapies that will have worldwide impact. We are grateful to the Friends of CHOP for their philanthropy and commitment to this wonderful hospital.”