MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University Medicine Children’s is ready to kick off a popular local fundraiser with the help of local restaurants.
The 2025 iteration of WVU Medicine Children’s Restaurant Week kicked off on Sunday, where over a half dozen local businesses across the Morgantown area will host exclusive lunch and dinner specials with proceeds going to support the hospital. WVU Medicine Children’s Director of Community Relations and Giving Erin Blake encourages Morgantown area residents to keep an eye out when you’re going out to eat throughout the week to potentially order a unique dish that will help the treatment of children across the Appalachian region.
“We want everybody to get out to the restaurants,” said Blake. “It’s been a long winter, everybody is looking to get back out and moving around, and we want them to go support those organizations,” she said.
Among the businesses participating in WVU Medicine Children’s Restaurant Week are places located across the Morgantown area. This includes restaurants located in Downtown Morgantown, the Suncrest Town Center, Sabraton, and Star City. With specials such as the West Virginia Prime Burger at Burbon Prime and a 21-piece Big Daddy Pizza special hosted at Fox’s Pizza Den among the potential meals that could be purchased, Blake feels that Restaurant Week has plenty of incentives for Morgantown area residents to take part and contribute towards a good cause.
“We have Burbon Prime, who is going to be taking part, they are at the Mariott at Waterfront Place, we have the Cupcakery, Fox’s Pizza Den, they have a Big Daddy Pizza,” said Blake. “Mountain State Brewing is doing wings now, they are doing a special with that, and also Pies and Pints,” she said.
In order to have your order be a part of the WVU Medicine Children’s Restaurant Week donations, customers must inquire about the specials served at that specific restaurant when they are ordering. Once an order is taken, around 25 percent of the proceeds will then be given to WVU Medicine Children’s as part of a total collective from the proceeds of the participating businesses. Each business will host their benefit special throughout the week.
“You go to one of these participating restaurants, and you order their special for the week,” said Blake. “Then they are going to give a portion of the proceeds back to (WVU Medicine) Children’s,” she said.
WVU Medicine Children’s Restaurant Week is aimed at not only helping increase patronage at Morgantown area businesses but also supporting the expansive treatments offered at the hospital. The proceeds support over 10,000 annual hospital visits at the WVU Medicine Children’s Morgantown location as well as the over 60,000 visits in satellite locations in Pennsylvania and other parts of the Mountain State. With the Morgantown community fresh off of donating close to $30,000 as part of the 2025 iteration of Mohigan Idol, Blake hopes area residents will be able to do the same this week.
“So everything that the community does to support us, and especially the local businesses and organizations, we are just so proud to work with them and appreciate everything they do,” said Blake.
A complete list of participating restaurants is available on the WVU Medicine Children’s Facebook page.