December 19th, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 19, 2014
MEDIA CONTACT
Charles Shumaker
Media & Community Relations Manager
phone: 304.399.6742
Annual Huntington event has raised more than $157,000 in ten years
HUNTINGTON, WV â The 10th anniversary of the West Virginia Hot Dog Festival held in July in downtown Huntington raised just more than $15,000 and put the eventâs total donations since 2004 at more than $157,000 for the Hoops Family Childrenâs Hospital at Cabell Huntington Hospital.
The eventâs founder, John Mandt Jr., owner of Stewartâs Hot Dogs, and his friends at iHeartMedia in Huntington Thursday presented their latest donation in an event at the hospital.
âToday weâre marking a very special anniversary that is incredibly meaningful to me in its support for sick and injured children,â Mandt said. âIn a decadeâs time weâve been able to celebrate with our community and contribute to a cause that is unmatched. We are so very proud of the $157,000 weâve donated from the West Virginia Hot Dog Festival and we look forward to another decade, and more, filled with family fun each July.â
Each year, dozens of hot dog vendors from across the region and state come to Huntingtonâs Pullman Square to showcase their sauces and specialties. Mandt and Kym York-Blake, senior marketing consultant for iHeartMedia and the festivalâs event coordinator, said their hopes for next yearâs event are higher than ever.
"Our iHeartMedia radio stations (KEE 100, 103.3 TCR Country, B97FM, 106.3 WAMX-The Brew, 800WVHU, FOX Sports 1230 & 1420) are sincerely honored to organize, promote, volunteer and execute the annual West Virginia Hot Dog Festival each year,â York-Blake said. âIt's hard to believe 2014 was our 10th Anniversary. One of my personal highlights each year is the WV Hot Dog Festival's annual check presentation to Cabell Huntington Hospital's Hoops Family's Children's Hospital, for the kids in our region. We canât wait for our 11th fundraiser on Saturday, July 25th, 2015 at Pullman Square."
âOnce again, John, Kym and their team of dedicated volunteers have defined the word âcommunityâ through their work with the West Virginia Hot Dog Festival to support our youngest patients,â said Velma Workman, community development coordinator for the Cabell Huntington Hospital Foundation. âBy taking their individual strengths to form a community celebration they have turned this annual event into a destination for many families each summer. We are pleased to be a part and grateful for the generosity of this donation.â
iHeartMedia organizes, promotes and provides staffing for the event each year.
The Hoops Family Childrenâs Hospital is a 71-bed childrenâs hospital within a hospital located at Cabell Huntington Hospital, a 303-bed academic medical center in Huntington, West Virginia. Cabell Huntington is affiliated with the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and cares for patients from more than 29 counties throughout West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and southern Ohio. The Hoops Family Childrenâs Hospital is a member of the Childrenâs Hospital Association and includes a 36-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a 25-bed General Pediatrics Unit and a 10-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. The facility is currently undergoing a $12 million renovation project to create the entrance and reconstruct the units for general pediatrics and pediatric intensive care. The Hoops Family Childrenâs Hospital is supported by Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine pediatricians and pediatric sub-specialists in neurosurgery, general surgery, neurology, infectious diseases, gastroenterology, cardiology and pediatric oncology.
Fundraising from the West Virginia Hot Dog Festival surpassed $157,000 with Thursdayâs $15,000 donation from the 2014 event. iHeart Media radio personalities and Hoops Family Childrenâs Hospital staff and leaders joined John Mandt Jr.,(center) owner of Stewartâs Hot Dogs and founder of the festival and Kym York-Blake, (center-right) senior marketing consultant for iHeartMedia and the festivalâs event coordinator Thursday for a check presentation.
The Hoops Family Childrenâs Hospital is a 71-bed childrenâs hospital within a hospital located at Cabell Huntington Hospital, a 303-bed academic medical center in Huntington, West Virginia. Cabell Huntington is affiliated with the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and cares for patients from more than 29 counties throughout West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and southern Ohio. The Hoops Family Childrenâs Hospital is a member of the Childrenâs Hospital Association and includes a 36-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a 25-bed General Pediatrics Unit and a 10-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. The Hoops Family Childrenâs Hospital is supported by Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine pediatricians and pediatric sub-specialists in orthopedics, allergy/immunology, neurosurgery, general surgery, neurology, infectious diseases, gastroenterology, cardiology and pediatric oncology.
Â
Â
Click to Enlarge
December 28th, 2013
Click to Enlarge
January 4th, 2013
Â