Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Awarded Children's Hospital Play Grant from Toy Foundation
March 27, 2023
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital has been selected as one of the recipients of a $25,000 grant from The Toy Foundation’s Children’s Hospital Play Grants program. The Hollywood-based pediatric facility’s grant will support the Power of Play program, which uses play therapy to help relieve children’s fear and anxiety about being in the hospital and maximizes the benefits of their medical treatments.
The Toy Foundation (TTF), the charitable organization for the North American toy industry, created the program to improve pediatric care through the healing power of play at hospitals in communities with the greatest need. The program is a partnership of the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA), which represents over 200 children’s hospitals in the nation.
“Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is designed around the power of play as a healing force,” said Shannon Bajwa, child life manager at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. “Our job as specialists is to reduce fear and anxiety for children in the hospital in order to maximize the benefits of their medical treatments, create an atmosphere of hope, restore balance, and improve their overall health and well-being. The Toy Foundation’s Children’s Hospital Play Grant gives us the tools to do that while using the power of play.”
A hospital stay can be an unbearable time for a child and their family. Incorporating play therapy into daily care can relieve stress, positively impact the child's well-being, and measurably improve treatment outcomes.
"The extraordinary physical, emotional, and educational benefits of play are well documented," said Pamela Mastrota, executive director of The Toy Foundation. "We are delighted to support Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in delivering the healing power of play to the children and families they serve every day."
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital was one of 19 children’s hospitals selected to receive a Children’s Hospital Play Grant from TTF. View the full list of recipients for 2022/2023 from CHA’s website.
About The Toy Foundation
The Toy Foundation (TFF) is a 501 (c)3 children's charity whose mission is to be the uniting force for the collective philanthropy of the toy industry for the benefit of all children in need. In collaboration with the industry, TTF aims to create a world where every child experiences the comfort, joy, and extraordinary physical, emotional, and educational benefits of play through three program areas – The Toy Bank, Play Grants, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Since 2003, TTF’s signature Toy Bank has delivered nearly $286 million in toys to 31 million children around the world since 2003. In 2022, TTF provided $1.9 million in play grants to children’s hospitals nationwide and global partner organizations actively assisting thousands Ukrainian refugees. TTF launched its DEI program in 2022 working with a network of colleges and universities to attract diverse talent to career pathways in the toy industry.