SanCap Cares, our island community’s effort to support the life-giving pediatric services at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, celebrated a night of giving and appreciation on April 3rd, raising nearly $800,000 during the 22nd Annual SanCap Cares Island Celebration.

The focus of this year’s fundraising efforts was “All About the Brain”. Golisano Children’s Hospital continues to work to strengthen its Pediatric Mental Health services, while embarking on a new Neurosurgery program and the formation of a research and education partnership with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.

“Lee Health and Golisano Children’s Hospital continue to be amazed and blessed by the overwhelming generosity of the Sanibel and Captiva communities in support of the children of Southwest Florida,” said Dr. Larry Antonucci, President and CEO, Lee Health. “For 22 years, SanCap Cares has supported exceptional healthcare for the region’s most important assets, our children, including over $18 million in total giving. On behalf of all the kids that benefit from SanCap Cares’ support, we’d like to offer our deepest appreciation and gratitude.”

The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company has sponsored SanCap Cares for two decades, and once again served as Presenting Sponsor of the event.

“Since the plan for the Golisano Children’s Hospital was imagined, the Sanibel Captiva Trust Company has been proud to support the fundraising efforts to benefit children and families in our community,” said Al Hanser, Founder and Chairman of The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company.

Hanser addressed the audience, expressing his pleasure in giving back to the community that he and many others call home. The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company is well known not only for their management of investments, but also for their desire to invest in nonprofits and programs throughout our region and beyond.

The SanCap Cares event is historically one of the last fundraising events of the season. Started by a group of passionate mothers in 2001, it has now raised more than $18 million for Golisano Children’s Hospital.

The night at The Sanctuary Golf Club kicked off with a festive cocktail hour with a variety of decadent food and wine pairings and an opportunity to support the Give to Give silent auction. Featuring displays of needed equipment to enhance current programs and services, the Give to Give is a popular feature of the event and has helped fund ambulance cots and infant transport aids to protect the fragile heads of a newborn babies in past years. These items and many more are used throughout the hospital and within the neonatal & pediatric/mom & baby critical care ambulance fully funded by SanCap Cares donors in 2021.

Other featured Give to Give items this year were jet ventilators that save vulnerable NICU babies from respiratory failure, huggable mini Goldendoodle plush toys (modeled after Dorian the hospital dog), and child advocacy packages that aim to keep kids safe and out of the hospital.

The event moved into the beautifully decorated main dining room with an Olde Florida theme for an exquisite plated dinner followed by comments from the Golisano leadership team, showcasing the progress the hospital has made in addressing the many pediatric healthcare needs in our community over the past two decades.

But it was the after-dinner entertainment that made the night even more remarkable. The Island Celebration prompted guests to give from their hearts to support the “All About the Brain” initiative and then turned the microphones over to the national music act The Modern Gentlemen. The Los Angeles-based quartet performed an hour-long set of hits, while guests danced and sang along.

Planning is already underway for another memorable event, to be held Spring of 2023. Visit SanCapCares.org to learn more about SanCap Cares or Golisano Children’s Hospital.