BRIGHT SPIRIT PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR BEDSIDE ENTERTAINMENT AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL & RESEARCH CENTER OAKLAND
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10 – OAKLAND, CA – The Bright Spirit Children’s Foundation, which provides entertainment technologies such as video games, computers, televisions, and audio for hospitals that work with seriously ill children, has donated to the Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland, Calif.
Bright Spirit handed over close to 100 Sony PlayStation 2’s® and hundreds of games & accessories as part of an ongoing program to provide distractive entertainment bedside within the entire facility. The charity is in the process of providing additional donations to support this caring initiative.
Bright Spirit programs are designed to uplift a child's spirit in the hospital, distract them from their illnesses, and help them to cope with fear, anxiety, and boredom. Bright Spirit works with hospitals to determine the most appropriate programs or services needed for the children. More details of Bright Spirit programs can be found at this page on the official website: http://www.brightspirit.org
“We are delighted to take this first step in an ongoing quest to bring enjoyment to the lives of these seriously-ill children through fun entertainment,” said Bright Spirit President and Founder Stuart Kaplan. Mary Kelly, Manager of Child Life Services at the hospital commented that “recent studies have shown that distractive entertainment can be as powerful as medications.” We are incredibly grateful for the support Bright Spirit has provided – It is making a real difference in the lives of our patients and their families.”
The 190-bed Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland is the largest freestanding pediatric facility in Northern California. As a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center, Children's receives more than 200,000 visits each year. The hospital serves an extremely diverse patient population and provides specialty clinics for homeless and displaced families, a dedicated Southeast Asian clinic and multiple clinics for Spanish-speaking families.
Children's is home to one of the largest and most competitive pediatric residency programs in the Western US. The world-class research facility was recently ranked fifth in the United States and amazing research is ongoing for Sickle Cell disease, Thalassemia, and Cystic Fibrosis.
The Bright Spirit Children’s Foundation welcomes any donations of money and/or goods/services in support of our many programs throughout the year. Please visit www.brightspirit.org to make in-kind donations. Donations can be mailed to: Bright Spirit Children’s Foundation, 12 Canavan Circle, Needham, MA 02492.
Bright Spirit is a 100% volunteer organization, and all the money raised goes to the children. Bright Spirit Children’s Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) IRS tax-exempt organization and non-profit corporation in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (FID# 02-0813212).