Panda Express’ Philanthropic Foundation Pledges $20 Million To Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Funds will establish the Panda Cares Center of Hope™, which will support programs and services that provide compassionate, healing care for patients and their families

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Tuesday, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) announced that Panda Express^®, through its philanthropic foundation, Panda Cares^®, pledged $20 million to establish the Panda Cares Center of Hope, which will support hospital programs and services that provide compassionate and healing care for patients and their families.

“Panda Express is one of our largest and most benevolent corporate partners, and we are so grateful for their ongoing support and devotion to help us fulfill our mission to create hope and build healthier futures for children,” says Children’s Hospital Los Angeles President and CEO Paul S. Viviano. “These are challenging times for many of the patient families we serve, and thanks to this significant commitment, we will be able to continue to provide programs and services that are more vital now than ever.”

“We are proud to bring the vision of the Panda Cares Center of Hope to life at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and are humbled to be able to be part of the healing journey for the families and kids,” said Dr. Peggy Cherng, co-founder and co-CEO of Panda Restaurant Group. “Children are our future. We hope that through our partnership with CHLA and other Children’s Miracle Network hospitals, and this curriculum designed to give children the strength to thrive, we will bring smiles and hope to communities nationwide.”

The Panda Cares Center of Hope is a nationwide initiative launched this year in partnership with the Children’s Miracle Network and focuses on four key pillars of pediatric health programs and services – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Some of the many programs and services CHLA provides to patients and their families that will be supported by the Center of Hope include music and art therapy, the Literally Healing reading program, palliative care, grief and bereavement support and social services.

“Panda Cares’ mission to serve the patient and the family aligns perfectly with CHLA’s approach to compassionate family-centered care,” says Alexandra Carter, CHLA Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer. “Their tireless dedication to the health and well-being of children complements the world-class medical care we provide to our pediatric patients.”

Since 2003, Panda Restaurant Group has raised more than $17 million for CHLA. For five consecutive years, the company has been the top fundraiser for CHLA’s annual Make March Matter campaign.

Panda Cares is funded through the in-store donation box program and associates at Panda Express, Panda Inn, and Hibachi-San as well as PRG partners and founders. The foundation provides food, funding and volunteer services to underserved youth, and disaster relief efforts. For more information about Panda Cares, please visit PandaCares.org.

About Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Founded in 1901, Children's Hospital Los Angeles is the highest-ranked hospital in California and fifth in the nation on the prestigious U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll of best children’s hospitals. U.S. News ranks Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in all 10 specialty categories. Clinical care at the hospital is led by physicians who are faculty members of the Keck School of Medicine of USC through an affiliation dating from 1932. The hospital also leads the largest pediatric residency training program at a freestanding children’s hospital in the Western United States. The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is home to all basic, translational, clinical and community research conducted at the hospital, allowing proven discoveries to quickly reach patients. Our mission: to create hope and build healthier futures. To learn more, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter, and visit our blog at CHLA.org/blog.

About Panda Express

On a mission to inspire better lives, Panda Express is the largest Asian dining concept in the U.S. Family-owned and operated since 1983 by co-founders and co-CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng, Panda Express is best known as a trailblazer for creating a wide variety of industry-first recipes, including its best seller the Original Orange Chicken® and award-winning Honey Walnut Shrimp™, which have defined the category of authentic American Chinese cuisine. Each dish at Panda Express is thoughtfully crafted with quality ingredients and inspired by bold Chinese flavors and culinary principles. The restaurant brand has more than 2,200 locations and has introduced American Chinese cuisine to twelve international countries. Powered by this global family of associates, Panda Cares, Panda’s philanthropic arm, has raised more than $216 million and dedicated countless volunteer hours in bettering the health and education for over 12 million youths, as well as supporting communities in need since 1999. In 2020, the organization established the Panda Cares Scholars Program to provide the necessary funding, academic support and leadership development to help high school and college students learn, lead and thrive towards a bright future. For more information about Panda, visit pandaexpress.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.