Mission Statement and History

Brenner Children's Hospital at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is a "hospital within a hospital," dedicated to excellence in patient care, education and research focused on the special needs of children.

The Friends of Brenner Children's Hospital is a group of dedicated volunteers who support the hospital through fundraising and community awareness activities. In 1987, a steering committee of eight interested people was developed to initiate the introduction of Brenner Children's to the community and to set up the Friends  organization. The mission of the Friends of Brenner Children’s Hospital is to enhance the situation of patients at Brenner Children's Hospital by fundraising and public awareness.

Friends of Brenner Children's Hospital have three objectives.
        1. To increase community awareness of Brenner.
        2. To raise funds to supplement the programs of Brenner.
        3. To increase and broaden the membership in the Friends.

Through a generous gift from the Brenner family in 1986, the long-awaited dream of a children's hospital to serve our region became a reality. Between July 1989 and April 1990, Brenner Children's moved its facilities to a three-floor unit in the North Tower.  In April 2002, the Brenner Children’s celebrated the grand opening of Ardmore Tower West. The facility consists of 160 private rooms, six playrooms, an interactive video wall and a rooftop garden with playground equipment.

By 1988, the Friends formed its first board, and many fundraisers were under way, including the Antiques Show and Sale, the WGHPiedmont 8 Holiday Special, Festival of Trees and the Christmas Tag Sale.

Friends now has more than 900 members and organizes events such as the Festival of Trees, Cheers!A toast to children’s health, an annual Radiothon, and the Celebrity Golf Classic.