Biggs family, Packaging Specialties give $2 million to Arkansas Children’s Northwest

Kaaren Biggs, the Biggs family and Packaging Specialties Inc. have donated $2 million to Arkansas Children’s Northwest in Springdale, it was announced Tuesday (March 28).

“Throughout the years, our family and our Packaging Specialties families have needed the specialty care provided by children’s hospitals,” said Kaaren Biggs, owner of Packaging Specialties in Fayetteville. “We are grateful to support Arkansas Children’s Northwest and the future generations of children it will serve.” Supplying more than 27 industries, Packaging Specialties offers flexographic printing and builds pacmac machines.

The conference space at Arkansas Children’s Northwest will be named in honor of the Biggs family and Packaging Specialties.

Kaaren Biggs said supporting the pediatric hospital “is the right thing to do. We knew we wanted to be a part of providing pediatric care close to home for children in the region. My husband [and PSI founder] Hays Biggs loved children, and I know he would be proud of our decision to support Arkansas Children’s Northwest.”

Fred Scarborough, chief development officer for Arkansas Children’s Hospital and president of Arkansas Children’s Foundation, said the gift was “tremendous.”

“The Biggs family understand the importance of pediatric care in the region, and we are honored that they chose to invest in a better tomorrow for children in Northwest Arkansas,” he said.

Arkansas Children’s Northwest, a 233,613-square-foot pediatric hospital, is under construction west of Interstate 49 in Springdale and should open in January 2018. The project is expected to cost $427.7 million in construction, technology, equipment and operating expenses over the next five years and create 250 jobs.