Courier/Citibank hospital toy drive

Although a hospital stay during the holidays is hardly an ideal way to celebrate the season, The Queens Courier, in partnership with Citibank and with generous help from you, our readers and advertisers, will help give sick children admitted to two Queens hospitals over the holidays an unexpected bit of joy - a present.
For the first time, The Queens Courier and Citibank have launched a borough-wide toy drive to benefit the young patients in the pediatric wards of Flushing and Jamaica Hospitals. We urge you to look for Queens Courier toy collection boxes placed in Citibank branches throughout the borough where they may drop off toys for boys and girls from ages newborn to 18 until December 22.
&#8220We invite our readers and neighbors to participate in our toy drive and put a smile on a child's face this holiday season,” said Queens Courier vice president, Josh Schneps. &#8220Each donation will be put in the hands of a deserving child.”
According to Joann Ariola, Director for Community Relations and Intergovernmental Affairs for the MediSys Health Network to which the Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals belong, the laughter, surprises and the act of receiving a gift all help in the healing process.
&#8220It's a proven fact that bringing laughter, cheer and surprises is good medicine,” Ariola said, explaining that the children's excitement over receiving the gifts creates &#8220an atmosphere of wellness.”
Ariola said that staff at each hospital will distribute the gifts throughout their pediatric units as they are received and that a portion will be set aside to ensure that all children who are hospitalized on Christmas Day receive a gift.
Donated toys may be unwrapped or wrapped, however wrapped gifts should be identified on the outside with the appropriate gender and age range for the gift. According to Ariola, washable toys are preferable, excluding stuffed toy animals.
Ariola said that thanks to people and organizations like The Queens Courier and Citibank, &#8220[The toy donations] make the children realize there really is a Santa Claus.”