News release from Parkview Foundation:
Child’s Play Donations Aid Parkview Therapies
(September 17, 2014) – Through Parkview Foundation, Child’s Play Charities has made a donation to Parkview Women’s and Children’s hospital. The nearly $29,000 donation is made up of age and developmentally appropriate toys, games, electronics, videos, video games, and iTunes gift cards that will be used to enhance the quality of care provided by Parkview Women’s and Children’s hospital.
Items provided by Child’s Play Charity are used in physical and occupational therapies in the pediatrics unit and at Parkview Behavioral Health. These resources motivate children and encourage them to further engage their gross and fine motor skills. Such tools will also help Parkview’s child life specialists distract and comfort children during their hospital visit.
“These technologies and play items help us not only treat patients and help them with their development, but also provide a level of comfort and distraction for the child”, says Patti Brahe, senior vice president of Parkview Women’s and Children’s Hospital. “This gift allows us to make the child as comfortable as possible. Hospitals can be scary places, and things like movies and video games give the children a sense of normalcy in what is not a normal situation for them.”
Child’s Play is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 by Michael “Gabe” Krahulik and Jerry “Tycho” Holkins, the creators of the Penny Arcade comic strip, as a way to help sick children and show the softer side of the gaming community. Through the generosity of gamers and the video game industry, Child’s Play has raised more than $25 million in games, toys, and cash for its international network of pediatric facilities through an ongoing online toy drive and annual charity auction. For more information please visit www.childsplaycharity.org.