JoyRx

JoyRx set up a special booth at @aclfestival, inviting festival artists to record songs exclusively for the children we serve! Soon, kids in hospitals will get to enjoy these performances right from their hospital beds. Thanks to our partnerships with hospital staff across the country, we’re bringing music on demand — available anytime through CCTV, personal devices, or YouTube — so they can feel connected to the festival wherever they are. ??? When joy and music meet, amazing things happen. Thanks to all the artists who visited our booth! #JoyRxMusic #AustinCityLimits #FestivalVibes #OnDemandMusic

We are thrilled to announce the release of our?Annual Fiscal Year Community Investment Report! ??? This past year, thanks to the incredible support of our community, we were able to create over?291,500 transformational moments of joy?for more than?36,700 seriously ill children. Your investment of time, resources, and compassion ensures that JoyRx continues to be a vital source of connection, laughter, and play for the children and families who need it most. As we expand our services to meet the growing demand for joy, we invite you to explore the impact we’ve achieved together by reading our?FY24 Community Investment Report. Together, we’re making a lasting difference! ?? #JoyRx #CommunityImpact #FiscalYearReport #TransformingLives #Healthcare https://lnkd.in/ggwmis9u

We are so excited to welcome Lindsey Sanders to JoyRx ??As our new Regional Executive Director of the south region, Lindsey heads our Austin team. A dedicated nonprofit professional with over a decade of experience, Lindsey has held pivotal roles in renowned organizations, including 5 years at the American Cancer Society and 3 years at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Most recently, she served at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas for 3 years, making a significant impact on the lives of families facing medical challenges. Lindsey is now excited to bring her extensive expertise and passion to JoyRx, where she is eager to lead with vision and compassion to further the organization’s mission. Welcome to the team, Lindsey! Learn more about Lindsey by visiting our Q&A blog https://lnkd.in/gtMsAmHQ

We are thrilled to welcome Cristina Gonzalez-Avram to the JoyRx Board of Directors! ?? Cristina currently serves as the Director of Learning and Evaluation at the Gates Family Foundation, where she leads the foundation’s efforts in learning, evaluation, and program design. Cristina’s connection to our mission is deeply personal. Her daughter, Nora, was diagnosed with cancer at 18 months and received care at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Now in remission, Nora’s journey inspires Cristina’s commitment to making a difference through organizations like JoyRx. We are excited to have Cristina’s leadership and passion guiding us as we continue our mission of bringing joy to children and families facing serious illness. Welcome, Cristina! ?? #JoyRx #BoardMember #Leadership #CommunityImpact

A huge shoutout to the incredible students at West Linn High School for hosting a fantastic “purple out” at their football game this month i support of JoyRx! ???? Not only did they collect about 250 toys, but they also raised $800 in cash donations — we’re beyond grateful that they chose our organization as the beneficiary of their generosity. ?? Thank you, WLHS, for making a difference and helping us spread joy! #JoyRx #CommunitySupport #Gratitude #PurpleOut #WLHS

This year's Wonderball was a beautiful celebration of our roots: the power of joy, music, and community. Hundreds of passionate supporters and new friends joined us at the Portland Art Museum to raise over?$1 million?to bring more joy to children in need. ?? - This year, we launched our first?"Art for JoyRx"?with JoyRx kids and artist Gary Hirsch, creating one-of-a-kind works that touched us all and alone fundraised $10,000! ?? - We honored Clare Hamill, our founding and current board chair, with the inaugural Purple Torch Award, celebrating her nearly 30 years of incredible impact with JoyRx. ?? - The night concluded with an unforgettable performance from the amazing?Goapele, who also shared her joy with the kids at Randall Children's Hospital alongside our JoyRx Music Specialist. ?? Thank you to everyone who made this event a success — including our generous sponsors and the inspiring families who shared their stories. ?? Read more about Wonderball's success by clicking the link in our bio #LiveFromThe?? #JoyRx #CelebratingCommunity #ThankYou #MakingADifference

This year I had the honor of collaborating with kids and families served by the Children's Cancer Association JoyRx to create a series of art pieces that collide #botjoy with their amazing talent. These pieces highlight both their hardship and joy felt during treatment. Last night these were auctioned at CCA's Live From the Heart celebration and raised over $9,000 for this amazing organization. What a perfect way to the spread joy!!! Thank you Fran, Lucia, Peter, Alan, Nortetta, Wolfie, and Axel for being such awesome co-creators!!

??CUTENESS ALERT ?? Renesmee's face lit up when her Mentor Alex brought her a special Build-A-Bear Workshop friend, and the joy continued as she eagerly explored the toy bag for more surprises. ?? Moments like these highlight the power of connection and joy that our mentors bring to children facing difficult health challenges. We’re so grateful for the dedicated individuals like Alex who create these incredible moments of happiness and hope. Thank you for making a difference, one smile at a time! ? #JoyRx #MentorshipProgram #HeartfeltStories #CreatingJoy

Last week I attended “The Future of Music and Arts in Medicine and Health” conference in Berlin, Germany, co-hosted by the International Association for Music and Medicine (IAMM) and the International Society for Arts in Medicine (ISfAM). It was an incredible week filled with plenary sesssions, keynote speakers, SIGS, emerging research, interactive arts activities, and live music. I was honored to share a poster in the category of “Innovations at the Intersection of Arts, Medicine, Health, and Technology” where I presented on my graduate research from University of Florida and JoyRx about the impacts and efficacy of virtual music programming for pediatric patients. Thanks to IAMM and ISfAM for an amazing week of learning, networking and collaborating.

?? We’re just one month away from the 2024 Austin City Limits Festival! To get into the spirit, we’ve curated a fun and kid-friendly playlist featuring hits from this year’s performing artists. Whether you’re prepping for the festival or looking for positive, uplifting tunes to enjoy with your family this weekend, this playlist has you covered. JoyRx is excited to be on-site, capturing special moments and content to share with all of you. Stay tuned for updates as we gear up for this unforgettable festival experience! ???? #AustinCityLimits #JoyRx https://lnkd.in/gjF_FAE8