SAVANNAH — The Mattel Children’s Foundation, together with the Children’s Hospital Association, has awarded The Children’s Hospital at Memorial University Medical Center a $15,000 grant. The funds will be used to bring the healing power of play to hospitalized children through the creation of The Parent Infant Play Program. The Children’s Hospital is one of 11 children’s hospitals across the country to receive a Mattel Play Grant.
“We are excited and honored to have been selected as one of the Mattel Play Grant recipients,” said Bill Lee, vice president of The Children’s Hospital and chief strategy officer at Memorial Health. “With this generous gift, we can create a unique, age-appropriate play program for children from birth to age 2 and their parents. The program will help very young children and their families cope with a range of issues including illness, hospitalization, and surgery.”
“One of the difficulties children face during an extended hospital stay is maintaining the joy of childhood through the many procedures and treatments they undergo,” Children’s Hospital Association President and CEO Mark Wietecha said. “The Mattel Children’s Foundation Play Grants will support children’s hospitals in their quest to create healing environments that allow children to engage in play and, frankly, just be kids.”    
The Mattel Play Grants program builds on the success of a nine-year partnership between the Children’s Hospital Association and the Mattel Children’s Foundation that has delivered a half million toys to pediatric patients at children’s hospitals. For more information regarding the Mattel Play Grants program, go to www.childrenshospitals.net/corporatealliances.