The spirit of Christmas came early to Wolfson Children’s Hospital this year when Santa Claus made a special visit in the middle of summer to distribute toys donated by generous community members for Christmas in July. The 13th annual toy and fundraiser presented by Subaru of Jacksonville lasted the entire month of July, and Santa Claus made his special visit to the hospital on July 31.
During this year’s July Christmas party, members of the Jacksonville community donated more than 1,300 toys. Additionally, generous donors made more than $13,000 in cash gifts online in July. The funds will be used to purchase toys for Wolfson Children’s patients.
Subaru of Jacksonville collected toys at its St. Johns Bluff Road showroom throughout the month and delivered them with Santa on July 31. In addition to thousands of dollars worth of toys donated by the community, employees and owners, the dealership donated $25,000 to support the Child Life department.
“The toys we collect in our showroom are much more than just objects – they are symbols of smiles and comfort for the wonderful patients at Wolfson Children’s Hospital,” said Phil Porter Jr., general manager of Subaru of Jacksonville. “We appreciate the opportunity to contribute in a small way to the joy these gifts bring to children, no matter the time of year.”
At Wolfson Children’s, certified child life specialists and master’s degree-holding music therapists use toys and instruments as tools to help children understand their condition and prepare them for medical procedures such as blood draws and MRIs. By relieving stress and anxiety, they help children develop a sense of control in the hospital and emergency room environment.
Christmas in July offers child and adolescent therapists the opportunity to stock their toy shelves and find those most needed items to continue their mission of making patients’ stays more enjoyable.
“These donations are so important because our child life specialists and music therapists use toys not only to comfort children in the hospital, but also to help meet cognitive and physical development goals during their hospital stay,” said Susan Kinnebrew, director of Family Support Services at Wolfson Children’s. “Our entire team is incredibly grateful to the community for continuing to support our patients and our care efforts as we help children understand their treatment and process their feelings and emotions.”
“We are so grateful for the continued generosity and support of our Northeast Florida community, from individuals who have donated online or dropped off toys, to organizations and businesses like Subaru of Jacksonville who sponsored the drive,” said Allegra C. Jaros, president of Wolfson Children’s Hospital. “Christmas in July toy and monetary donations allow our Family Support Services team to bring joy to all of our patients and support them on their healing journey.”
Those who would like to donate toys year-round can do so by going to the Wolfson Children’s Hospital Amazon Wish List. To make a financial donation to Wolfson Children’s Hospital year-round, which allows the Child Life and Music Therapy teams to purchase the most needed toys and musical instruments, go to wolfsonchildrens.com/give.
