As part of the first international clown convention, during the “Make ‘em Laugh, New York City clown week,” clowns from all around the world came together and provided a special performance at the Elmhurst Hospital Center (EHC).
According to Atiya Butler, assistant director of external affairs at the EHC, over 200 re-owned clowns hailed from different parts of the United States, and internationally, which included, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico, England, India, and Malaysia.
On Wednesday, March 16, the clowns gathered at EHC for a special performance
as part of the World Clown Association’s annual convention hosted in New York City for the first time at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Queens – to bring happiness to pediatric and adult patients.
“The assembled clowns were in town for an international convention and took time out to visit Elmhurst Hospital Center’s Inpatient and Outpatient Pediatric Units, the Pediatric Emergency Room, and an inpatient rehabilitation ward,” said Butler. “After giving laughter to patients and staff, the clowns received a proclamation from mayor Bloomberg’s office, declaring March 13 to 19, ‘Make ‘em Laugh-New York City Clown Week.’”
According to Pam McDonnell, spokesperson for NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation, an instrumental player in bringing together “caring clowns” was arranged by New York Clown Alley member, Cyrus Zavieh (a.k.a. Cido the Clown).
“While they were in town, Mr. Zavieh arranged for 40 clowns to entertain pediatric, adult and geriatric patients and their families at NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation’s (NYCHHC) public hospitals Elmhurst, Bellevue and Coler-Goldwater,” said McDonnell. “Zavieh has worked at Elmhurst Hospital for 19 years and seeing what patients were going through made him want to find a way to relieve their pain and suffering.”
Butler indicated that the EHC has received over 600,000 ambulatory care visits and more than 30,000 emergency room visits.
“We serve an area of approximately one million people in a community recognized as the most ethnically diverse in the world,” Butler said.
Noted by the NYCHHC, the clowns juggled and performed acrobatics, bringing joy and alleviating sadness through laughter.
“Clowns perform to spread cheer and relieve fear and pain with humor,” noted McDonnell.
