A Big Win for Our Littlest Neighbors
On May 5th, something special happened right here in Bakersfield. Golfers gathered at the Bakersfield Country Club for the sold-out Larry Carr Play Yellow Golf Tournament, and together with the title sponsor Valley Strong, they raised over $200,000 for the Lauren Small Children’s Center at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital.
That’s not just a number—it’s an investment in our kids, our families, and our future.
The Lauren Small Children’s Center is a place every parent hopes they never need—but when they do, they’re grateful it’s here. It’s where premature babies, critically ill kids, and children recovering from surgery receive top-tier care, close to home. Before this center, families often had to travel nearly 130 miles for pediatric care. Now, they don’t have to go far to get the support and specialized treatment their children need.
The center offers:
- A 31-bed NICU for the tiniest newborns.
- A 37-bed pediatrics unit for kids with medical or surgical needs.
- The Robert Grimm Children’s Pavilion for Emergency Services featuring the only dedicated children’s emergency department and pediatric intensive care unit in the Southern San Joaquin Valley.
- The S.A. Camp Companies Burn Unit, treating many young patients.
- And coming this fall, two pediatric surgical suites so even more care can happen right here at home.
- Plus, the Helen Taylor Cobbs Healing Garden designed to bring a little peace and hope to patients and families.
This kind of care doesn’t just happen—it takes community. It takes partnerships like the one between the Children’s Miracle Network and Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Foundation, a relationship that’s been making a difference since 1991.
If you’re looking for a way to give back, or just want to learn more about how to help, reach out to ContactBMHF@Commonspirit.org
Because when we come together, we can make sure every child in our community has a better chance at healing and growing up healthy, happy, and close to home.