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Celebrating 125 Years of Innovation and Advocacy

An adorable girl blows bubbles at Gillette's Walk and Roll event.

Gillette Children's had many things to celebrate in our milestone 125th year. 

The new year is an opportunity to plan for the future and celebrate the accomplishments of the past. In 2022 Gillette Children’s celebrated 125 years of being one of the world’s most respected hospitals treating children with brain, bone, and movement conditions.

Gillette exists to help children write their own story. We’re excited continue researching and innovating the care for some of the most complex challenges in pediatric health care. As we begin 2023, we would like to share some favorite stories highlighting our celebrations from the past year.

Arthur Gillette, MD, is our founder and one of the 125 Humans of Gillette we profiled in a special series. 

Arthur Gillette, MD, is our founder and one of the 125 Humans of Gillette we profiled in a special series. 

Honoring the past and planning the future

We took time in our milestone year to recognize and honor our history and to share future plans to continue expanding our reach so we can serve more families.

We highlighted profiles of 125 people from Gillette’s past and present who have been part of making Gillette a place where every child is encouraged to live their dreams.

The 125 Humans of Gillette project began with our founder, Arthur Gillette, MD and included nurses, staff members, historical figures, and patient profiles. We ended the series with reflections and future plans from Gillette President and CEO, Barbara Joers.

“When I think of the thousands of individuals that have played an integral role in the growth and vitality of our mission that still resonates strongly today – I am in awe,” Joers said. You can read all 125 profiles in our series here

We also shared more about how Gillette innovates, advocates, and celebrates the children we are honored to have in our care in a 12-part series of articles in the Star Tribune newspaper. You can read the entire series here.

Two children and an adult have fun on a

The main campus of Gillette Children's in St. Paul was turned into a winter wonderland with help from our friends at Target and the Minnesota Twins. 

Celebrating the children in our care

From a Walk and Roll event at Viking Lakes in Eagan, MN to creating a Winter Wonderland at our main campus in St. Paul, Gillette hosted many events to celebrate the children in our care. We’re pleased that, with precautions, we were able to safely gather in person once again.

Gillette teamed up with KS95 for Kids and M Health Fairview, Masonic Children’s Hospital Cancer Program to raise money to help children in our community get the effective treatments and life-changing surgeries they deserve in our 2022 Radiothon event at the Mall of America. We’re grateful to our sponsors and to everyone who donated or volunteered their time for this event.

Gillette families helped us open our new Gateway Plaza space. It's an area that allows for a more convenient drop-off area and safe, accessible spaces for patients and employees. 

Gillette families helped us open our new Gateway Plaza space. It allows for a more convenient drop-off area and accessible spaces for patients and employees. 

A new look and a new space

In May Gillette Children’s launched a simplified name and refreshed brand that redefines our world-class capabilities in brain, bone and movement conditions that start in childhood.

Gillette Children’s president and CEO, Barbara Joers, says part of this branding focus was inspired by a Gillette parent who expressed appreciation for how our care touched her daughter’s and her family’s life.

“I’m grateful for her words and for many other perspectives which informed this work,” Joers says. “Our new vision, ‘A world in which every child is able to create their own story,’ was directly inspired by that parent.” You can read more about our refreshed brand here

In November we celebrated the completion of the Gateway Plaza. This project began with a vision to create a central space to welcome Gillette families, allow for a more convenient drop-off area for patients, and provide safe, accessible parking and spaces for Gillette employees. You can read more about the opening of Gateway Plaza here.

Two dancers from the Gillette's 125th Illuminate the Future event.

The "Illuminate the Future" event capped off Gillette's 125th year celebration and raised money for The Cerebral Palsy Institute. 

Illuminate the future

Gillette capped off its milestone year with a gathering at Saint Paul River Centre. The “Illuminate the Future” event was an opportunity to celebrate our 125th year and to raise money for the Gillette Children’s Cerebral Palsy institute.

We hope for more innovations, improvements in care, and celebrations in 2023.