Charities

This event is a capstone on the Tuck calendar, providing a fun way for students to give back to their community by supporting local non-profits focusing on children’s health issues. The proceeds from the run go to three charities in New Hampshire's Upper Valley: David's House, Children's Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD) Child Life Program and the Upper Valley Child and Family Services.

David’s House. Our mission is to provide home-away-from-home services for families with children receiving treatment through the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (CHAD).

David's House is named for David Cyr, a young boy who spent many months at Dartmouth-Hitchcock during his three and a half year battle with leukemia. While David's parents lived close enough to the medical center to be with him every day, David learned that many other children's parents traveled from far away to be at the hospital with their children and were forced to sleep in their cars, the waiting room or anywhere else they could find a place to stay if they could not afford a motel room. After David succumbed to leukemia in 1984 at the age of five, his parents vowed to follow through on David’s wish to provide a home for parents of sick children during their treatment. Fund raising for the project began one week after David's death and by January of 1986, David's House was completed.

Today, David's House provides a home-like atmosphere where families can stay close and give each other support while their children are under their doctors' care, frequently for cases of serious, chronic medical conditions. While David's House has a close working relationship with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, it is independently funded by individual and corporate donations. A fee of $10 per night is requested to help defray the actual operating cost of over $80 per night, but no family is turned away due to inability to pay. David's House can provide housing for up to 15 families each night and since its opening has served close to 10,000 families from 42 U.S. states and 18 foreign countries.

Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD) Child Life Program. CHaD provides over 14,000 days of hospital care annually for children throughout the New Hampshire and Vermont communities. In addition to direct clinical services, CHaD also provides several special services to help children prepare for treatment at the hospital. Through its Child Life Program, CHaD provides opportunities for children and families to develop a better understanding about hospitalization and illness in order to minimize psychological trauma. Our contribution usually comprises 50% of the Activities Coordinator’s annual budget, and is geared specifically towards purchase of toys, games, and other supplies for the Program center.

Upper Valley Child and Family Services. Child and Family Services (CFS) is a statewide, private, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the well-being of children by providing an array of social services to strengthen family life and by promoting community commitment to the needs of children.

For over 158 years, CFS has been responsive to community needs through its work in school, community and home settings, currently serving over 17,000 individuals a year throughout New Hampshire and eastern Vermont. CFS services include child abuse prevention, intervention and treatment; family, individual and couples counseling; adoption; child advocacy; teen risk prevention programs; home-based parenting and family life education; crisis care for at-risk youth; school-based social work; foster care services and summer camp for disadvantaged youth. CFS is unwavering in its dedication to protecting children, preserving families and enriching communities. No one is denied services due to an inability to pay. Accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Children and Family Services, CFS is a founding member of the Child Welfare League of America.