The visit to the Wonder Tower at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU cut Kevin Mullaney to the quick.

Even days after the Brandito (asi/325944) executive and others from the Richmond, VA-based promotional products distributor took a tour of the tower, the emotion of the visit caused tears to well and his voice to crack as he discussed the experience.

The Wonder Tower at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond.

“You see families at the hospital and you know they’re there for a reason,” says Mullaney, partner/vice president at Brandito. “I have two young daughters and I can only imagine what those families are going through. You don’t want anyone to ever experience that. You want to help.”

Help is exactly what Brandito has done.

Over the past two years, Brandito has generated approximately $100,000 to donate to help fund the building of the Wonder Tower, which is scheduled to open in Spring 2023. Brandito raised the six-figure sum by pledging $15 from each order to the project.

“To support a local organization with this important community mission made perfect sense for us,” says Krissy Keener, Brandito’s chief operating officer. “After visiting the Wonder Tower, our team’s overwhelming sentiment was that it’s an amazing place. We’re humbled to have contributed to it.”

The Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU is a comprehensive, full-service children’s hospital.

The Wonder Tower is its new 500,000-square-foot, 16-story inpatient facility. It’s to feature trauma and emergency care, plus 72 private rooms for acute and intensive care. There’s also increased capacity for imaging services and family amenities that include playrooms, performance spaces, Ronald McDonald House Charities rooms and outdoor gardens, and spaces for collaboration and education.

“It’s really a special place made with families and children in mind,” says Mullaney.

Brandito has been in business for about 14 years. The company has always made giving back a priority.

Inspired in part by a talk given by charity: water at a conference in 2019, Brandito CEO Michael Lovern spearheaded efforts to streamline and centralize the company’s charitable giving in an effort to have maximum impact in areas the company feels are critical to address.

“Giving back is part of our core values. It’s an essential part of what we do.” Krissy Keener, Brandito

“We wanted to take our charitable efforts to the next level and focus primarily on one major partner at a time to really make a difference,” says Keener.

Under that directive, Brandito first partnered with charity: water to fund three clean-water projects in Nepal. After that, Brandito focused its giving on the V Foundation, which funds cancer-battling research. Next came the Wonder Tower initiative.

Brandito also continues to support other causes on a smaller scale, from sponsorships at charity-focused events to backing Mustaches for Kids America, a philanthropic endeavor with chapters across North America in which men grow mustaches for 30 days to raise money for local children’s charities.

Additionally, the distributorship provides employees with paid time off to volunteer and arranges opportunities for the Brandito team to give back through volunteer events that support good causes.

“Giving back is part of our core values,” says Keener. “It’s an essential part of what we do.”