Austin and Nathalie Lemieux

2023 Lunch Raises Over $185K for Austin's Playrooms!

Over 350 guests joined the Mario Lemieux Foundation at The Westin Pittsburgh on Thursday, May 11 for the 24th annual Austin’s Playrooms Lunch & Fundraiser presented by Highmark.

Austin’s Playrooms, an initiative created by Nathalie Lemieux through her own experiences, creates safe and comfortable spaces in medical facilities for children who are enduring extended stays, whether as a patient or as a sibling of a patient.

Proceeds from this year’s event will be utilized to support renovation projects at AHN Traumatic Stress, AHN Health + Wellness Pavilion, Heritage Valley Beaver and Sewickley, Cancer Bridges, St. Clair, UPMC Magee Womens Hospital, UPMC Passavant Cranberry and others.

Concluding its 24th year, the annual event has raised the necessary funds to establish 43 Playrooms in hospitals and medical facilities throughout western Pennsylvania and beyond, with the newest Austin’s Playroom scheduled to open in early 2024 at UPMC Harrisburg. Your support and the generosity of our other key sponsors: Highmark, Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, UPMC, The Greenberg Family, and Cafaro-Livingston Charitable Trust, allow us to continue the good work of Austin’s Playrooms.

More About Austin's Playrooms

Austin’s Playrooms provide a safe, fun, and engaging atmosphere for kids while their families focus on health and healing in the face of difficult medical challenge. To learn more about Austin’s Playrooms, watch the Playroom video above, or click here.

For a full list of locations, click here.

For more information, contact Karin Girasek, Director, Austin’s Playrooms at kgirasek@mlf66.org or 412-281-3466.