Kids Day 2017 sets new record for donations, and counting not finished

Kids Day 2017 exceeded an ambitious goal Friday when it reached $627,500 in donations.

“Exciting news. We hit our goal!” exclaimed Zara Arboleda, a spokeswoman for Valley Children’s.

At that, it has reached a new record, and the counting is not yet done. Arboleda said more tallying would be done next week.

Kids Day is the annual event to support Valley Children’s Hospital. It was held on Tuesday, and involved hundreds of volunteers stationing themselves at key intersections throughout the central San Joaquin Valley. A special edition of The Bee was sold to passing motorists, with all proceeds going to the hospital.

The event raised $600,000 last year, then the all-time high.

The Bee and ABC30 are key supporters of Kids Day to benefit the hospital, which helps children with severe health problems.

This story was originally published March 10, 2017 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Kids Day 2017 sets new record for donations, and counting not finished."