With 2025 already being a tough year for Los Angeles, locals are in dire need of a spirit boost, and can do so by just going about their normal days.
This month is not just any month for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, it is the 10th year of the Make March Matter campaign, supporting around-the-clock services for child patients and their families. Raising $14 million since 2016, the campaign has businesses on the Westside offering special items and/or donating a portion of sales toward the Children’s Fund.
The campaign was launched by CHLA Vice President of Development & Corporate Partnerships Dawn Wilcox, who wanted to create a dedicated time of year where businesses in the community could support children’s health. The Children’s Fund covers the cost of charity care, treating patients regardless of family financial situation, with about 74% of CHLA patients being either underinsured or uninsured.
“We really view it as an opportunity to spotlight the businesses that support CHLA and encourage people to go out and support those businesses, knowing that if you’re going to do something already through the course of your (day), like get a coffee or go out to dinner or something, that you’d consider the businesses that are participating in the campaign,” Wilcox said.
A wide selection of decadent food can help the CHLA cause in March, such as the menu at Randy’s Donuts at 829 Wilshire Blvd. The longtime campaign partner will be donating 20% of sales from its special limited-edition Make March Matter donut to the Children’s Fund.
Another sweet inspiration is at Cobi’s at 2104 Main St., donating a portion of sales from all soft serve dessert and bottle water purchases. Similarly, BOA Steakhouse at 101 Santa Monica Blvd. will donate $2 from every dessert sold toward the campaign. Just a little south of Santa Monica lies Alfred Coffee in Venice, which is a 10-year campaign partner donating $1 for every specialty item sold, including Lavender Lattes and Lavender Syrup bottles.
Not just partnering with restaurants, CHLA kicked off the campaign on March 1 and 2 with Clare V., as the fashion store donated a percentage of sales from its Santa Monica location, along with stores in West Hollywood, Silver Lake and Brentwood. To view a full list of participating businesses throughout the Los Angeles area, visitmakemarchmatter.org.
Some businesses had to drop off the partner list for 2025 due to the devastating January wildfires. Wilcox stated that when the fires hit, CHLA made sure their employees and patients were safe, before setting up a dedicated wildfire recovery fund that can be found atchla.org. The hospital also activated a food distribution program for those in need during the troubling time. While CHLA was “sensitive” to outside business concerns, Make March Matter went ahead in order to take care of the 700,000 patients that come through the doors each year.
After the campaign, CHLA will be gearing up for its 125th anniversary next year. One stop along the way will be at the Santa Monica Pier, with the annual Walk & Play L.A. event taking place on June 7. The day of fun and philanthropy includes a 3,000-meter walk that becomes a strong bonding event for families.
“It’s a great time for our patient families and the community to come out,” Wilcox said. “A lot of people like to walk in honor of (or) in support of a patient that they know or their own family member. That’s an opportunity to really focus on different parts of the hospital, whether you’re a heart patient or an orthopedics patient, you get to (walk) and support that group.”
