Monrovia Child Fundraises For CHLA With "Hound Houses"

MONROVIA, CA – Hannah Iler, 9, made a lot of friends during her stay at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles when she was having reconstructive jaw surgeries. Now, she's giving back to the place that helped her heal for the second year in a row with Hannah's Hound House fundraiser.

Iler, of Monrovia, wanted to help hospitalized children during the holiday season by buying them new toys, according to Monrovia Weekly. So she built Hound Houses, a doggie version of the gingerbread house, out of rawhide, dog bones, and peanut butter and sold them for $10. All of the money raised go towards CHLA and an animal rescue organization.

Last year she raised $2,500 for CHLA, and the Ilers were able to purchase three shopping carts full of toys to deliver to CHLA before Christmas. When the family got to the hospital, Iler and her younger sister Rebecca were able to hand out a few gifts to patients who were discharging that day.

“It was by far the most memorable Christmas we have ever experienced as a family," Hannah's mother Erin told Monrovia Weekly. "Our hearts were full when we left CHLA, and our girls had a chance to really see what the meaning of the holiday season is."

Donations continued to come in after last Christmas, the family said, and people donated items to the American Human Society in addition to buying their Hound Houses. Iler ultimately raised an extra $500 that she donated to the Children of War Foundation, an organization that Dr. Jeffrey Hammoudeh, the director of the cranial facial team at CHLA, is a part of, according to Monrovia Weekly.

Iler has doubled her fundraising goal this year, seeking to raise $5,000 for CHLA following the success of her first Hound House run last year. The homemade Hound Houses will be available again this year on Dec. 16 from 9-11 a.m. at 710 Oakdale Avenue in Monrovia. Hound Houses may also be pre-ordered here.

For any questions, email egrycel@hotmail.com.

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