St. Mary’s Hospital for Children recently received a generous donation of $87,700 from the Spirit of Children program by Spirit Halloween —the country’s leading seasonal Halloween retailer. This donation is the largest to date that the program has donated to St. Mary’s Kids.
The partnership began in 2006, when Spirit Halloween began its tradition of hosting an annual Halloween party for St. Mary’s Kids and supporting St. Mary’s Child Life programs. To date, Spirit of Children has donated over $170,000 to support St. Mary’s Child Life Program.
Spirit Halloween raises funds for St. Mary’s through an in-store fundraising initiative. Customers who purchase costumes and Halloween décor at local Spirit Halloween locations are given an opportunity to donate to St. Mary’s Hospital for Children. One hundred percent of the money collected in the stores went to St. Mary’s. The program also helps to raise awareness for St. Mary’s that was represented in Spirit Halloween stores throughout New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties.
Additionally, the Spirit Halloween team visits St. Mary’s Hospital to host a vibrant fun-filled Halloween celebration. The event is an eagerly-awaited activity for St. Mary’s Kids, who are challenged by a broad spectrum of medically complex conditions, including chronic illness, serious injury and complications of premature birth. The children arrive at the party decked out in their Halloween costumes provided by Spirit Halloween, the event features a Costume Parade, Halloween arts and crafts and dance party in the St. Mary’s Children’s Pavilion. Each child receives a trick or treat gift bags from the Spirit Halloween team.
“We are very grateful to the Spirit of Children program for their generous annual gift and for bringing the joys of Halloween to our Kids,” said Vivian Figueroa, Assistant Vice President and Director of the Pediatric Day Healthcare Program (PDHC) and Therapeutic Recreation program at St. Mary’s. “We’ve been able to expand the services we can provide for our patients because of their generous donations each year.”
