Staff report

The Kikel Charitable Trust, administered by Farmers Trust Co., announced Monday it has provided $1 million to Akron Children’s Mahoning Valley.

Since 2011, the Kikel estate has given more than $8 million to the local health care provider. This year, the trust is supporting a variety of projects and initiatives.

Sisters Angela, Josephine and Jenny Kikel shared their resources and a common desire to help children in their community. The three lived modestly, saved consistently and invested wisely, accumulating a significant estate.

The sisters passed away within one year of each other between 1997 and 1998. Before their deaths, they established an estate plan that designated support for children in Mahoning Valley.

The trust is supporting these Akron Children’s Mahoning Valley projects:

• Akron Children’s Health Center, Warren — This facility brings general and specialty pediatric services to families in the Warren community.

• The Mahoning Valley Food Farmacy — Many patients and their families suffer from food insecurity. The Food Farmacy offers fresh and pantry-staple food at Akron Children’s Mahoning Valley.

• Outpatient pharmacy — This pharmacy makes it easier for caregivers to get prescriptions when bringing their children to the facility for illness, treatments and other services.

• Greatest areas of need — Some of the gift will go toward patient care, education and research — foundations of continuous growth and improvement at Akron Children’s Mahoning Valley.

“Nearly three decades after their deaths, Angela, Josephine and Jenny Kikel continue to make a positive impact on the lives of children in their community,” said Chris Gessner, CEO and president of Akron Children’s. “Their philanthropic spirit and financial foresight have played a significant role in the expansion of services and added to the vibrancy of our Mahoning Valley campus. We strive to be the very best stewards of their investment.”

Akron Children’s has been named a top pediatric hospital in the United States, according to Newsweek’s Best Children’s Hospitals of 2025 list released Monday.