Dedicating a Fun Center in Richmond!
August 8, 2011
There’s nothing more exciting than watching the eyes of pediatric patients and their care team while we pull down the curtain to unveil a Fun Center™. A Fun Center, a mobile entertainment device equipped with Nintendo Wii games and DVDs, is more than just a chance to be distracted from the stress of childhood illness; it’s the chance to be still be a kid, even while in the hospital.
Tomorrow morning, Starlight MidAtlantic is revealing a Fun Center generously donated by Qdoba Mexican Grill to St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond. In honor of its 8th anniversary, Qdoba raised the $4,250 for a Fun Center through community support. A Fun Center Dedication is a chance to celebrate the donor and the hospital recipient. After a few words from each, it’s always a mad dash for children to play on the unit.
While we can’t change the fact that these children are in the hospital instead of out enjoying the summer, we can give them the opportunity to have some fun. Maybe they can’t play baseball with their friends, but they can play Wii baseball with some new friends at the hospital. A Fun Center encourages socialization among pediatric patients and helps combat fear, pain, and isolation.
Always a crowd pleaser, Starlight’s beloved mascot, Starry, will be on hand to play games and make some very special deliveries of books and Pillow Pets!
-Nicole Kennedy, Community Outreach Coordinator
