By Allison Johnson, Staff Writer

Primary Children’s Medical Center is asking U students and community members to “measure your heart” and give generously during a month-long campaign to raise money for children with life-threatening illnesses.

Pennies by the Inch is an annual fundraising campaign that has been taking place at the hospital for 86 years. During the 30 days of the event, which started Sept. 15 and will last until Oct. 15, thousands of volunteers from a local organization will be going door-to-door throughout Salt Lake City seeking donations.

Hospital representatives are encouraging students to donate, even if they can only donate a couple of pennies.

Students who live outside of the Salt Lake City area and wish to contribute can mail donations directly to the hospital or donate online at www.penniesbytheinch.org.

All funds collected from Pennies by the Inch will go directly toward patient care. None of the money raised goes toward administrative costs. To make this possible, physicians at the hospital offer their services at no charge to children served by the campaign.

Last year, Primary Children’s raised more than $8 million through the fundraiser, which was used to cover the cost of nearly 11,000 hospital visits. Thousands of children who could not afford proper medical care benefited from Pennies by the Inch in 2007.

Primary Children’s Medical Center serves children in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada and Montana, and is the only hospital in the area to be recognized as a Trauma 1 center for children.

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