MCCSC named Riley Corporation by hospital

The Monroe County Community School Corporation has been named a Riley Corporation by the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children for its donations in the past year.

“This last year we had 289 school corporations and 603 schools participate in the Kids Caring and Sharing philanthropy program,” said Kate Burnett, regional communications coordinator for Riley Hospital. “Collectively, they raised $1.3 million for Riley. It’s very impressive.”

Susan Miles, kids caring and sharing officer with the Riley Children’s Foundation, said the relationship between Indiana schools and the hospital goes back about 30 years.

“Schools and the Indiana Association of School Principals have been involved in fundraising for Riley since the early days,” Miles said. “Riley has been the charity of choice for a long time, but in the past five years we’ve started to
recognize corporations in particular.”

Corporations are recognized as a Riley Corporation or a Miracle Corporation.

“Riley Corporations either get every school in the corporation to participate and donate, or they raise enough money with the schools that do participate so that donations equal $1 per student,” Miles said. “Miracle Corporations do both.”

MCCSC was named a Riley Corporation because, though not every school participated, donations from Bloomington High School North and Bloomington High School South covered the amount from schools that didn’t participate.

Miles said the schools’ successes are due to their Riley Dance Marathons.

The first IU Dance Marathon was organized in 1991 in honor of Ryan White.

In 1984, 13-year-old White contracted HIV from a blood transfusion.

He was expelled from his middle school in Kokomo because of it. He died in 1990 just before graduating high school and going on to IU.

“Since then, over 50 schools participate in dance marathons in Indiana,” Miles said. “Donations that aren’t designated go to support research at Riley, which is a priority. MCCSC’s money goes to fighting infectious diseases.”

Burnett said school participation has increased over time, and she’s excited so many are getting involved.

“This year we had 17 Miracle Corporations and over 50 Riley Corporations,” Burnett said. “We’d like to see the list keep on growing.”

Miles said the success of the schools is due to the students who participate.

“It really is an amazing program,” she said. “The kids really get engaged with the families who are involved. They connect with them. They all have such warm and
generous hearts.”

Follow reporter Stephen Kroll on Twitter @stephenkroll1.