Giving Back: OSRAM Again Supports Boston Children’s Hospital Fundraiser

For the second straight year, Wilmington, Massachusetts-based lighting technology company OSRAM  has teamed up with Boston Children’s Hospital to “Light Up” the hospital and the city of Boston in an effort to support patients and their families during the cold winter months.

The Shine Your Light for Boston Children’s Hospital event took place in February, when 50 buildings around the City of Boston shined Boston Children’s blue to show their support for Boston Children’s patients and their families. OSRAM is the corporate sponsor of the Shine Your Light campaign.

“Two years ago, Boston Children’s Hospital came to us with an idea,” says Michael Flieger, chief financial officer for Osram’s Americas Region. “They hoped to expand their new employee giving campaign and wanted a corporate partner to help them. What really caught our attention was that they wanted to use light as the catalyst, light to help brighten an otherwise dark time-both a dark time of year, and metaphorically, a dark time for many patients and families. As a global lighting technology leader that uses light to improve quality of life, including health and well-being, we knew it was a great opportunity to help one of our neighbors, which is also the number one children’s hospital in the country.”

Osram provided a $250,000 gift and support for the Shine Your Light for Boston Children’s Hospital, ignited by the Osram event on Feb. 25. For the second year, the event included a patient story, featuring a family member of an Osram employee who had been successfully treated at Boston Children’s Hospital.

In addition, Osram employees coordinated donation drives to support the hospital’s patients and families, organized volunteer teams for the annual Mix 104.1 Cares for Kids Radiothon, and participated in other volunteer activities at the hospital. The funds provided by Osram support the Every Child Fund, which provides financial assistance to families for expenses not covered by insurance; supportive services; research; and opportunities for patients to have a little fun while in the hospital-allowing kids to be kids.

“Boston Children’s Hospital is grateful for the ongoing support of Osram,” says Michael Bornhorst, associate vice president of Boston Children’s Hospital Trust. “Their partnership provides vital funding that fuels our life-changing mission to help kids in Boston and kids across the world.”

The Marriott Vacation Club Pulse at Custom House, which hosted an event for Boston Children’s, Osram and other sponsor families, was illuminated for the event with a temporary installation of Osram’s Traxon fixtures, Quattro Washer and Quattro Liner, in its famous clock tower observatory.

This year, Boston Children’s Hospital also secured support from additional sponsors, including Speedway, which sold Shine Your Light keychain flashlights at its stores throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the hospital.