Baltimore area schools collect 15,000 pajamas for critically ill children

More than 15,000 pairs of pajamas were gathered by the Casey Cares Foundation in a Baltimore-area drive that drew donations from more than 70 schools across central Maryland and brought out numerous volunteers. The collection, held Thursday, April 30, turned a simple clothing drive into a sizable shipment of comfort for children facing critical illness.

The pajamas are headed into Casey Cares’ broader network of support for more than 1,600 critically ill children and their families. The Baltimore nonprofit says the donations are part of a year-round approach that includes care packages, movie nights and other uplifting programs, with a fresh pair of pajamas often folded into the mix. For families juggling hospital stays, treatment schedules and prolonged uncertainty, that small item can help restore a little normalcy.

Casey Cares was established in 2000 by founder Casey Baynes, and the organization says it now serves more than 1,600 families a year in eight states and Washington, D.C. Its mission centers on “little moments” and “lasting memories” for critically ill children and their families. The April pajama drive is part of the group’s annual Biggest PJ Party campaign, which Casey Cares says is now in its 11th year and runs throughout April, anchored by April 16, National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day.

The scale of this year’s response also shows how much local institutions can move when they are organized around a concrete need. Casey Cares’ 2026 campaign aims to deliver 27,000 pairs of pajamas, and a volunteer listing for the April 30 pickup said 80 schools had signed up, suggesting the final turnout came close to that goal. The foundation also thanked Chick-fil-A Baltimore area operators for helping make the effort possible, while its pajama-drive page said 46 area restaurants were teaming up with the organization through an online wish list.

In a city where so many headlines are shaped by crisis, the pajama drive offered a clear counterpoint: Baltimore schools, local volunteers and neighborhood businesses pushing material support toward children who need it most. For the families Casey Cares serves, the result is not a symbol. It is a stack of pajamas ready to be worn.