Courier brings joy to the children

Four-year-old Allyson Azanedo was clutching her new penguin stuffed animal and carrying around two new Barbie dolls around the lobby of the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York.
The smiley little girl was only one of more than 100 patients at the children’s hospital who will have an extra special Christmas this year thanks to the generous efforts of The Queens Courier and its readers.
On Friday, December 17, Queens Courier staff members loaded up two car loads full of presents that ranged from winter clothes for newborns, Barbies and basketballs for tots and iTunes gift cards for teenagers and make a special deliver to drop off the gifts at the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York.
“For the past 25 years, The Queens Courier has been a terrific public servant to all of the citizens of our borough and beyond,” said Michelle Pinto, director of media relations at North Shore Long Island Jewish. “Everyone here is thrilled that this award-winning newspaper has once again chosen us to be the recipient of their generosity and the generosity of their readers. This is a wonderful example of how community-based journalism can change the lives of its readership.”
During the past month, dozens of Queens Courier readers brought gifts to the newspaper’s Bayside office – some bringing in one present and others sending in boxes of presents with nearly two dozen gifts.
In addition to individuals, the National Honor Society at Maspeth’s Martin Luther High School collected two big garbage bags filled with presents and brought the gifts over to The Queens Courier. Assemblymember Ann-Margaret Carrozza, who conducts her own toy drive every year, also donated five bags of toys to The Queens Courier.
After the gifts were decorated with festive bows and ribbons, the hundreds of presents were brought over to Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center where child life staff will distribute the gifts to the patients.
Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center offers the highest quality adolescent, pediatric and children’s health care services to screen, diagnose and treat a wide variety of injuries and illnesses. Its mission is to offer the best pediatric and children’s health care services in a safe, comfortable, and stress free environment for your child.
This was the second consecutive year The Queens Courier has partnered with Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York (formerly Schneider Children’s Hospital).