FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA — For nearly 30 years, volunteers and sponsors have come together to make sure that families caring for a child with special needs at Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center (CDTC) have a Thanksgiving meal.
This year’s 29th Annual Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center Thanksgiving Basket Brigade Presented by Amazon took place on Sunday, November 21. Dedicated volunteers and community and business leaders personally delivered “Thanksgiving Baskets,” complete with a frozen turkey and all the traditional fixings, to 1,200 pre-registered CDTC families in Broward County who are currently caring for a child with special healthcare needs.
“Our Thanksgiving Basket Brigade is one of the highlights of the year, and we were thrilled to welcome Amazon as our new presenting sponsor,” said CDTC Executive Director Dr. Ana Calderon Randazzo. “Our families are so grateful for the support and love from our staff, sponsors and volunteers during this time.”
Going beyond their $30,000 Presenting Sponsorship, Amazon pledged an additional gift of $20,000 this holiday season which they have dedicated to providing medical care and support for children and families most in need during the coming year.
“Year round, the Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center performs vital work assisting local Broward County families,” said Sam Blatt, Amazon’s Economic Development Manager for Florida. “This season, CDTC’s Thanksgiving Basket Brigade will deliver holiday meals to our neighbors, and we’re delighted to join with them as they make the holidays brighter for the South Florida community.”
In a continued effort to abide by COVID-19 health protocols more than two hundred vehicles lined up outside of CDTC and formed a festive brigade, delivering contactless holiday meal baskets to families in need.
Amazon is also the presenting sponsor for Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center’s Annual Holiday Toy Shop, which kicked-off immediately following the Basket Brigade. Local Amazon employees adopted one lucky CDTC family and invited Captain Lee Rosbach to shop in the Amazon 4-star store for holiday gifts which they delivered together during the Brigade.
This year’s Toy Shop will provide holiday gifts for 3,000 children with special needs and their siblings ages 0-13. CDTC is accepting deliveries of new toys from community drives or their online wish list starting December 1. Volunteer opportunities will also be available to help distribute the toys beginning December 16. Visit ChildrensDiagnostic.org/toyshop for more information about donating or volunteering.
In addition to Amazon as presenting sponsor, sponsors include Spirit Airlines, Community Care Plan, Dx Web, American Express, JM Family Enterprises, HealthRise, Ira and Penny Vernon, AssociatesMD, Berger Commercial Realty, the Lafratta Family and Pediatric Associates.
