"I saw the tracks of angels in the earth, the beauty of Heaven walking by itself in the world"   DONATED IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR PRECIOUS ANGEL CAROLINE ELIZABETH VILLANI

Mobile, Multi-Media Fun Center Units Keep the Fun Rolling!

Children who face a serious illness or disability generally spend a great deal of time in and out of hospitals. In order to help make their stays a bit more bearable, Starlight created the Fun Center Program. A signature program for the Foundation since 1991, Starlight Fun Centers continue to delight thousands of children every day throughout the Starlight network of hospitals. These brightly colored, mobile entertainment units contain a TV, VCR and Nintendo 64 Game System in an irresistible enclosure that rolls right above the bed of a hospitalized child. These Fun Centers provide hours of entertainment from movies or head-to-head video game competitions.

While entertainment is the prime focus of the program, its effects are far-reaching. Hospitals report that they frequently rely on Fun Centers to divert children during long hours of dialysis or chemotherapy treatments, and further, find that when children utilize Fun Centers during post-op, their requirement for pain medication is reduced. Often described as “life-savers” during long waiting periods in emergency rooms, Fun Centers also help to alleviate feelings of loneliness and boredom for children in isolation.

The thriving Fun Center program is enhancing the lives of hospitalized children everywhere. With the support of Nintendo of America, and other corporate partners, Fun Centers are being placed at a significant rate in hospitals worldwide. Yet, even given these successes, hospitals are requesting Fun Centers at a faster rate than Starlight can supply them.

If you or your company might like to sponsor a Fun Center, please contact Angel Montanez at the Starlight Children's Foundation Headquarters. Phone 1-800-274-7827 or Email: angel@starlight.org