Kids Wish Network & Big Baby, Inc. throw successful party for White Memorial Medical Center patients

Oct. 27, 2010 - PRLog -- KIDS WISH NETWORK – Through the sponsorship of Big Baby, Inc. and Megatrux Inc., national children’s charity Kids Wish Network donated over $100,000 worth of brand new toys, games and gifts to White Memorial Medical Center for distribution among their pediatric patients. In order to distribute the toys and to celebrate the donation, Kids Wish Network and White Memorial hosted a Holiday of Hope party complete with activities, food, entertainment and celebrities for patients and their families to enjoy a fun day away from the stress and pain of medical treatments.

“Seeing the impact this event had on so many underprivileged children from our community was really uplifting,” said Victor Madero, manager of community relations for White Memorial Medical Center.  “The response was more than we could have hoped for and the generous donations of toys and entertainment from Kids Wish Network left an extraordinarily positive community impression on hundreds of children and their families which is vital to enhancing their quality of life.”

There were over 200 pediatric patients and their families in attendance and, as entertainment, there was a DJ and a dance floor, face painters, airbrush tattoo artists and activity centers which delighted children of all ages. In addition, there was a stylish red carpet set up for the kids to parade down after receiving mini-makeovers; there were even photographers present to take pictures of those who walked the carpet and give them the pictures as a memento to cherish.

Of course, no red carpet event would be complete without celebrities, and there were several who showed up to spend time with the kids including Nathan Kress of Nickelodeon’s “iCarly”; Robbie Amell and Ashley Argota of “True Jackson, VP”; and Joshua Logan Moore of “Desperate Housewives.” Also present were LA Galaxy defender Sean Franklin, along with the Galaxy Street Team and members of the Miss LA Galaxy court.

“Over 200 kids attended and they all had a great time meeting the celebrities from Nickelodeon’s ‘iCarly’ and ‘True Jackson, VP,’ playing soccer with the LA Galaxy or making bead jewelry. The music, the roaming characters, face painting, and temporary tattoos made the event magical,” said Madeline Robinson, Chief Operations Officer for Kids Wish Network.

While they were enjoying all the festivities, the pediatric patients and their often-forgotten siblings were excited to be given age and gender appropriate gift bags completely filled with toys, games, books and other amazing gifts to take home.
“We are grateful to our generous sponsors and vendors and appreciate the assistance provided by White Memorial Hospital’s staff and volunteers to make it a memorable event for the local children and families,” said Alicia Argiz-Lyons, Executive Director of Kids Wish Network, while Roni Braitanbaum of Big Baby, Inc. says that their company is more than happy with the way the event went and that they are ready for another one: “We at Big Baby, Inc. are extremely happy, proud, and overjoyed to have been part of this great event and look forward to continue with that commitment in the future.”

Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following sponsors for making the 2010 Holiday of Hope such a success: A Faery Hunt, AirTran Airways, California Pizza Kitchen, Classic Couriers, Create A Kids Party, Dole Food Company, Exclusive Artists Management, Eye Deal Pictures, Happy Events and Parties, Home Depot Store #6689, John Minor, Just Imagine Entertainment, Koo Koo Roo Chicken Bistro, LA Classic Limousine Service, LA Galaxy, Magic Bob Weiss, Megatrux Inc., Nickelodeon, Parties by Stacey, Persona PR, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Red Carpet Runway, Saddle Ranch Chop House, Sparkey’s Pizza, Special FX Ink, Sunset Marquis, Tasty Clouds Cotton Candy Company and Will Enterprises.

Kids Wish Network is a national charitable organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children having experienced life-altering situations. If you know a facility that may benefit from their Holiday of Hope Gift Bank program, please call 727-937-3600 or toll free 888-918-9004. For more information on Kids Wish Network, visit their website at www.kidswishnetwork.org

White Memorial Medical Center is a 353-bed, not-for-profit, faith-based, teaching hospital that provides a full range of inpatient, outpatient and emergency services to communities in and near downtown Los Angeles. Services include The Los Angeles Advanced Imaging Center, The Heart and Vascular Care Center, the Centers for Orthopedic Care, Cecilia Gonzalez De La Hoya Cancer Center, Oscar De La Hoya Labor and Delivery Center, children's services, emergency services, rehabilitation and behavioral medicine. For more information, visit www.whitememorial.com.

White Memorial Medical Center is part of Adventist Health, a not-for-profit, faith-based health care system operating in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Founded on the Seventh-day Adventist heritage of Christian health care, Adventist Health is comprised of 17 hospitals with more than 2,500 beds, nearly 18,600 employees, numerous clinics and outpatient facilities, the largest system of rural health clinics in California with additional sites in Oregon and Washington, 14 home care agencies and four joint-venture retirement centers. For more information, visit www.adventisthealth.com.

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Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children through their uniquely specialized programs.

http://www.kidswishnetwork.org