Sales of shopping cards benefit Children’s National Health System

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., the largest independent residential real estate company in the United States, is proud to sponsor The Board of Visitors for Children’s National Health System’s annual Care for Kids Card program. This is the second year that Long & Foster has supported the Washington, D.C., area charity shopping card program, which has been in existence for 11 years now. By purchasing a Care for Kids card, residents support Children’s National, which receives 100 percent of the proceeds from the card sales, and are entitled to 20-percent discounts at participating Care for Kids Card merchants from Oct. 17 to 26.

“At Long & Foster, we’re committed to giving back to the many communities in which we live and work, and that’s why we’re pleased to support the Board of Visitors in their annual Care for Kids Card fundraising program,” said Jeffrey S. Detwiler, president and chief operating officer of The Long & Foster Companies. “Through its pediatric health services, Children’s National has made a tremendously positive impact on so many individuals in our area, and it’s our privilege to support them in their mission.”

Anne Polk, a Long & Foster real estate agent in McLean, Va., and co-chair of the 2014 Care for Kids Card program, shared her enthusiasm for the program and Long & Foster’s ongoing commitment to Children’s National.

“The entire Board of Visitors and I are thrilled that Long & Foster has once again supported us in this extraordinary community initiative,” said Polk. “The Care for Kids Card program is an essential fundraiser for the Board and Children’s National, and I’m confident that with Long & Foster’s commitment, as well as the dedication of our many sponsors and merchants, we’ll achieve even great fundraising success this year.”

Care for Kids cards cost $50 and will be available for purchase at most Long & Foster offices in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. You can also buy cards online at the Board of Visitors website and at most participating retailers. This year, nearly 200 shops and restaurants are taking part in the Care for Kids Card program, including Bloomingdale’s, which is the program’s exclusive department store partner.

Additional merchants include Brooks Brothers, Henri Bendel, Lilly Pulitzer, Mulberry and many other home, clothing and accessory stores, as well as restaurants and bakeries like Georgetown Cupcake and Tony and Joe’s Seafood Place. Johnson’s Florist and Garden Centers has also partnered with the Board of Visitors for the Care for Kids Card program, and it will donate a portion of every flower order through the month of October to the organization. View the complete list at http://boardofvisitors.com/merchants.

Children’s National is the premier provider of acute pediatric services in the Washington, D.C., area and has served the nation for more than 140 years. It is the only freestanding children’s hospital between Atlanta and Philadelphia, and is home to Children’s Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation. Children’s National consistently ranks among the top pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report and the Leapfrog Group.

The Board of Visitors for Children’s National provides a critical volunteer force and important source of fundraising for the medical center. To date, the Board has awarded grants and major gifts to the hospital totaling more than $8 million. Through the Care for Kids Card program, the Board has donated more than $1.75 million to Children’s National. The funds help strengthen patient and family care, support research, purchase equipment and develop innovative patient treatments.

Visit http://boardofvisitors.com for more information on the Care for Kids Card program and stop by your local Long & Foster office in the Washington, D.C., area to purchase a Care for Kids card.