Kappa Delta’s support of the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU started when KD became interested in the work being done by William Tate Graham, M.D., a pioneer in the field known for treating polio victims who never turned away patients for their inability to pay.
In 1921, The Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU became KD’s first national philanthropy. In 1947, the sorority established the Kappa Delta Orthopaedic Research Awards in partnership with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons because of their work with the Children’s Hospital. To date, Kappa Delta’s monetary and tangible gifts to both organizations have totaled more than $4.1 million.
Kappa Delta Orthopaedic Research Interns
Often referred to as the Nobel Prize of orthopaedic research, the Kappa Delta Orthopaedic Research Awards have gone to researchers who have made some of the most of the leading orthopaedic advancements to date.
In 1947, the sorority established the Kappa Delta Orthopaedic Research Awards after meeting young patients with crippling diseases. Kappa Deltas’ early leaders wanted to make a difference not only in treatment, but in prevention.
KD's contributions to the Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU have funded the development of a motion clinic; provided playground equipment; and allowed the hospital to purchase necessary medical equipment, braces, neurosurgical instruments and vans to transport patients.