Hours before joining the Los Angeles Dodgers for their final Spring Training game, Justin Turner, his wife Kourtney, and the Justin Turner Foundation were added to the prestigious Spotlight Wall inside Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
The Turners were recognized for their philanthropic work with the local hospital, which includes countless visits and financial contributions to the Helping Hands Fund. Their names are alongside the likes of the L.A. Kings, Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke, and Warner Bro’s. Entertainment, among others.
“It’s pretty surreal,” Turner said of the honor. “We’ve walked by this wall several times. To now be a part of it, be on the wall, know that we’re directly impacting a lot of the kids that are in here, not just by coming up here and visiting and spending time but financially as well, it’s pretty cool.”
Justin and Kourtney have been supports of CHLA since 2016. The relationship began when the couple attended a holiday party, much to the delight of CHLA’s orthopedic patients and families. The Turners returned to the hospital one week later to visit with patients who likely weren’t going to have the fortune of being home for the holidays.
The Turners were recognized for their frequent visits, support and contributions to the Helping Hands Fund. pic.twitter.com/teByV3DxDx
— Matthew Moreno (@MMoreno1015) March 26, 2019
Turner has also invited patients to design his cleats for Childhood Cancer Awareness month (September) the past two seasons. This past January, the Justin Turner Foundation presented CHLA with a $50,000 donation at its annual Golf Classic.
Ranked No. 1 on the West Coast and No. 6 in the nation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a nonprofit hospital that relies on the generosity of the community it serves. CHLA sees more than 500,000 patient visits every year from children across Southern California, the United States and globe.
While the Turners are not interested in any public attention over their giving, Children’s Hospital and others have still sought to it they get their well-earned due. At the beginning of the year, Los Angeles City Council declared Jan. 22 as Justin Turner Day.
“I think it just means what we’re doing, what we’re trying to accomplish, is having an impact on our community,” Turner said of the attention. “We don’t do it for the recognition, but at the same time, the recognition tells us we’re doing things right, having success and impacting peoples’ lives.”
Information on how to support on Children’s Hospital Los Angeles can be found here
