By Amelia Silberger
“Magic happens at Kennedy Krieger Institute—it truly changes lives,” says Cynthia Cavanaugh, one of the leaders of the Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) for Kennedy Krieger Institute.
WIN is a women-run organization dedicated to supporting Kennedy Krieger’s patients and students, and their families, through advocacy, fundraising and volunteering. WIN offers a range of volunteer opportunities, including serving dinners and filling gift bags with toiletries and comfort items for patients and families staying in the Institute’s inpatient hospital, and doing activities with children receiving treatment at the Institute.
Volunteering with WIN over the past decade, Cynthia has played games like Uno™ and checkers with children from all over the world. She gives freely of her time to Kennedy Krieger’s patients because they “touch your heart” in a way unlike any other.
Magic happens at Kennedy Krieger Institute—it truly changes lives.” – Cynthia Cavanaugh
guests Lisa Frank (left) and Erika Slater
Cynthia is one of the leaders of WIN’s Holiday Gift Initiative, a project in which WIN members collect clothing, food, books and more to give to families in need. The initiative has grown quickly: Last year, it served 80 families in southeast Baltimore. Cynthia also co-chairs WIN’s Hats & Horses event, an annual gala that raises funds and awareness for the Institute’s life-changing services and research, and is a member of the Kennedy Krieger Foundation Board of Directors.
Cynthia and her husband, Jack Cavanaugh, also support the Loyola Early Learning Center and various organizations around the city, and Cynthia sits on the board of the Roland Park Country School. They’ve raised their children to give back, volunteer and get involved in the community through service activities completed as a family.
“Cynthia truly believes in WIN’s mission, and she connects people by inviting them to get involved with WIN,” says Allyson Peters, major gifts officer for Kennedy Krieger’s Office of Philanthropy. “Cynthia is committed to the Institute’s mission on multiple levels, and she has a heart of gold.”
