For half a century, Mike and Pattie Batza have been supporting Kennedy Krieger Institute.
It all started when Mike was invited to join a group of community-minded Baltimoreans to recruit others from the area to support Kennedy Krieger. It was the perfect philanthropic pursuit for Mike, then a co-owner of Meridian Health Care.
“Our first impression of Kennedy Krieger was that it was a place that offered hope for a better life,” Mike says. “That’s only grown stronger over time.”
Mike’s volunteer work for Kennedy Krieger turned into a position on the Kennedy Krieger Institute Board of Directors in 1980, a role that he continues to hold. He served as board chair for many years, including in the mid-1980s, when Kennedy Krieger was searching for a successor to Dr. Hugo Moser as president of the Institute.
The research that happens at Kennedy Krieger gives families a reason to hope.” – Pattie Batza
and Mike and Pattie Batza
Two decades ago, Mike and Pattie chose to honor Dr. Moser’s contributions to the field of research in rare genetic diseases by endowing the Batza Family Foundation Research Chair, currently held by Dr. Stewart Mostofsky. It was Kennedy Krieger’s first endowed chair. “The research that happens at Kennedy Krieger gives families a reason to hope for the future.”
Mike’s family real estate firm, Heritage Properties, has been a sponsor of the Institute’s annual Festival of Trees fundraising extravaganza for many years. The Batzas also funded the aquarium alcove in the lobby of the Institute’s outpatient center at 801 Broadway. “The aquarium helps make for a more relaxed experience” for children and families coming to Kennedy Krieger, Pattie says. “You can see the joy on their faces.”
Mike and Pattie’s three daughters and their families continue the family traditions of giving. “It has always been important to us to give back, no matter the level,” Pattie says. “And if by giving,” Mike adds, “we encourage others to give, then that benefits Kennedy Krieger all the more.”
