Chip and Joanna Hand Over $1.5 Million Check to St. Jude Children's Hospital
The “Fixer Upper” couple is at it again. Chip and Joanna Gaines have been known to be more than a little generous toward those in need.
Chip’s annual “Chipstarter” program helps individuals or families reach their dreams. In 2018, he and Joanna helped a couple adopt a child with Down syndrome through this program.
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The HGTV veterans are also behind the Magnolia Foundation, an organization that aims “to provide restoration to the most vulnerable children and families,” according to its website.
Now the kindhearted couple from Waco, Texas, has put their heads, hands and funds together to give St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital a little extra love and care.
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Chip and Joanna raised funds through a social media campaign — appropriately named the #ChipInChallenge — and presented the Memphis, Tennessee, hospital with a $1.5 million check on June 19, People reported.
The donation will go toward long-term housing for the families of St. Jude patients. Target House provides a place the families can stay, free of charge, while their children are receiving much-needed care.
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But Chip and Joanna didn’t stop there. They knew they wanted to do more for the families who stay at Target House, so they did what they do best: They “fixed up” the outdoor space and donated a playhouse they designed themselves.
“When we heard that the space outside of Target House could use a little love, we knew right away that we wanted to create a sweet playhouse for the kids to enjoy,” Joanna told People.
“There’s something so special about spending time together outside and while we’re hopeful that these families will not have to stay here for very long, we wanted to create a retreat for them to explore while they are here.”
The life-size playhouse offers all sorts of fun for the residents including a floral archway, a play kitchen and even a pretend dining area with plastic food.
“When we were designing this playhouse, we knew we wanted it to feel whimsical and fun,” Joanna said.
“That was the inspiration behind details like the colorful flowers in the flower boxes and the sweet kitchen area. Our hope is that this space brings a bit of joy to the families here.”
Thanks to @chipgaines and @joannagaines for visiting @Target House last week to reveal a new playhouse and drop off a $1.4M #chipinchallenge check for the kids of St. Jude! Learn more: https://t.co/2Xj30Jmt2q pic.twitter.com/EBh1SxLw0e
— St. Jude (@StJude) June 27, 2019
The funds came together with help from other celebrities, too. Jennifer Lopez, Kacey Musgraves and Alex Rodriguez were reportedly among those who helped “Chip in.”
Joanna wrote on Instagram that she and Chip left St. Jude “feeling changed forever. The beautiful kids and families here carry such strength and hope, and we were honored to spend the day with them.”
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