The University of Miami’s chapter of the Phi Delta Epsilon Medical Fraternity celebrated its biggest event of the year, “Stand for the Kids,” on Oct. 22, 2025.
The annual tabling event serves as a fundraiser for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami’s only exclusively pediatric healthcare system. The Foote Green turned into a carnival, completely decked out with a dunk tank, bounce house, inflatable bull ride and many other activities.
“It’s just so wonderful seeing everyone come together for a certain cause, like to support the children,” said Sydney Litten, one of PhiDE’s event planning chairs who helped to organize the event. “You really see the community that we have built when we all come together.”
“Stand for the Kids” is one of the fraternity’s internationally trademarked events, meaning that each chapter worldwide has their own annual version of the fundraiser on the same date. Last semester, PhiDE’s Anatomy Fashion Show raised over $10,000.
PhiDE CEO Karen Katz notably made an appearance. Though she “can’t have favorites,” she shared that the University of Miami’s chapter is definitely near the top of the list.
“When our headquarters was in Miami, we chose five chapters to beta test ‘Stand for the Kids’ in 2012 before it became the international philanthropy day,” said Katz. “The University of Miami was one of those.”
The fundraiser was fostered in part by the Children’s Miracle Network, which serves as a liaison between PhiDE and children’s hospitals across the United States.
“We chose Children’s Miracle Network because we were and are their current physicians,” said Katz. “We wanted a charity or philanthropy where we could not only raise money, but also take part in making a difference daily.”
Through this event and others, Phi Delta Epsilon has raised more than $2 million for children’s hospitals worldwide.
“I believe this philanthropy does a lot for our hearts because when you become a physician, you are always in the hospital but you can leave at the end of the day,” said Katz. “When you’re a patient, you [can’t] necessarily do that. So this is a reminder of how important it is to remember that these children are not just patients. They are someone’s child. They are the future of the world.”