St. Vincent's Hospital Officially Opens Toys "R" Us Children's Fund-Starlight Site Providing A State-of-the-Art Playroom for New York's Littlest Patients
04/20/2006
Media Contacts:
Toys 'R' Us: Kelly Cullen, 646/366.8822, 1cullenk@toysrus.com
Starlight Starbright: Jenny Isaacson, 310/479.1212 x-14, jenny@starlight.org
St. Vincent's Hospital: Michael Fagan, 212/604.7965, mfagan@svcmcny.org
NEW YORK - March 14, 2006 - With shooting stars across the ceiling, a unique sensory wall and an all-encompassing activity center, the specially designed Toys 'R' Us Children's Fund-Starlight Site, which will be dedicated on Tuesday, March 14, is an extraordinary place for pediatric patients receiving care at St. Vincent's Hospital.
Designed to serve as a relaxing and carefree space for children, the playroom addresses the burgeoning trend across the nation's hospitals of looking at a patient's environment as an important factor in the healing process. The playroom at St. Vincent's, located in the hospital's pediatric inpatient unit, is the first of its kind in Manhattan and will serve approximately 1,800 children and their families each year.
Toys 'R' Us will help dedicate the new Toys 'R' Us Children's Fund-Starlight Site tomorrow at 1 pm on the 8th floor with the assistance of pediatric patients at St. Vincent's and their families. Additional attendees at the dedication will include executives from Toys 'R' Us, Kip Crennan, Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation Board Member, and Len Walsh, Executive Director of St. Vincent's Hospital.
Today's unveiling follows a $7 million multi-year donation made by the Toys 'R' Us Children's Fund to the Foundation for the construction and renovation of these new pediatric playrooms in hospitals across the country.
'Toys 'R' Us and the Toys 'R' Us Children's Fund are committed to improving the quality of life for children,' said Mike Goldstein, Chairman of the Toys 'R' Us Children's Fund, Inc. 'And through this playroom program, we hope to bring much-needed joy and play time to pediatric patients at St. Vincent's Hospital.'
Featuring a unique sensory corner, a color changing light projector to showcase every color of the spectrum, and a mirror-tiled ball to provide additional surfaces to catch the light, the playroom is designed to stimulate a child's sense of sight, sound and touch. The sensory corner is particularly important as some children, for whom other therapies have failed, respond to sensory environments. The site also features a bubble machine, a 42' LCD TV, a new computer system with flat screen monitor, a kitchen area, wall-mounted interactive games, an activity table, and plenty of storage for all the new toys donated by Toys 'R' Us.
'We are extremely grateful to the Toys 'R' Us Children's Fund and the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation for the generous gift of a state-of-the-art playroom for our patients,' said Len Walsh, executive director of St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan. 'We know from experience that the wonderful amenities that this room provides are extremely important to the health and recovery of our pediatric patients.'
'For children confined to a hospital, the opportunity to have fun in a well-equipped, inviting atmosphere assists in the healing process,' said Jane Van Stedum, vice president of program services for Starlight Starbright. 'While play experiences are valuable in their own right, they also provide children with an opportunity to express their feelings, release stress, and learn new skills. Our partnership with Toys 'R' Us allows us to enhance the quality of our site program and bring countless hours of therapeutic fun to the children who need it most.'
About Toys 'R' Us Children's Fund
Since it was founded in 1992, the Toys "R" Us Children's Fund, Inc. has donated millions of dollars each year to organizations and charities that support the health and welfare of children. Because children are the heart and soul of its business, the Toys 'R' Us family has a strong sense of responsibility to do whatever they can to make the lives of children happier and healthier. Funds raised through the Toys 'R' Us Children's Fund are used to support the Toys 'R' Us-Starlight Site Playroom Program and other children's causes.
About Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation
Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation is a non-profit organization that transforms the lives of seriously ill children and their families through imaginative programs that educate, uplift their spirits, foster a sense of community, and help alleviate the pain and fear of prolonged illness. Starlight Starbright offers an impressive array of in-hospital, outpatient, school and home-based programs and services that touch the lives of more than 180,000 children and families each month. To learn more about the organization, visit their web site at www.starlight.org.
About Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers
Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers is one of the New York metropolitan area's most comprehensive health organizations, serving nearly 600,000 people annually. Saint Vincent's was established in 2000 as a result of a merger of Catholic Medical Centers of Brooklyn and Queens, Saint Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center of New York and Sisters of Charity Healthcare in Staten Island. Sponsored by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn and the president of the Sisters of Charity of New York, Saint Vincent's serves as the academic medical center of New York Medical College in New York City.
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