Help us to bring joy to sick and at-risk children

In the spirit of the season, The Queens Courier, in partnership with Citibank and with generous help from you, our readers and advertisers, can help make the holidays shine brighter for sick and at-risk children in Queens from now until December 22 with the donation of a new toy.
Join The Queens Courier and Citibank in their first borough-wide toy drive to benefit the young patients in the pediatric wards of Flushing and Jamaica hospitals and the largely minority and at-risk children from the South Queens Boys & Girls Club.
To donate a gift for boys and girls ages newborn to 18, we urge you to look for Queens Courier toy collection boxes placed in Citibank branches throughout the borough or at The Queens Courier offices located at 38-15 Bell Boulevard in Bayside.
&#8220Receiving those toys is the most amazing thing for them,” said Bibi Razack, manager of special events and projects for the South Queens Boys and Girls Club. &#8220For a lot of kids this is one of the few gifts they'll receive this season.”
According to Joann Ariola, director for community relations and intergovernmental affairs for the MediSys Health Network to which Jamaica and Flushing hospitals belong, &#8220It's a proven fact that bringing laughter, cheer and surprises is good medicine,” and creates &#8220an atmosphere of wellness.”
Donated new 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.
&#8220It makes [the kids] feel special to know that someone cares enough about them to give them a gift,” Razack said.