(L to R) Major League Baseball Umpires Bruce Dreckman, Nate Tomlinson, Shane Livensparger and Mark Wegner take time out to deliver 100 Build-A-Bear® furry friends to young patients at Mt. Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital in New York City.
UMPS CARE Charities – the official philanthropy of the Major League Baseball Umpires – took time out to bring the fun of the summer to children at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital with the delivery of 100 Build-A-Bear® furry friends, outfits, goody bags with activity books and more.
“The Major League Baseball Umpires spend most of their summers in ballparks across the country, and they look forward to taking time out to give back to the community through these visits at children’s hospitals,” said Jennifer Skolochenko-Platt, Executive Director of UMPS CARE Charities. “All of us at UMPS CARE are excited to meet with kids at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital and bring smiles to the faces of young patients and their caregivers.”
Including this visit, UMPS CARE Charities has delivered Build-A-Bear® to 23,315 children in hospitals across the country and in Canada since 2006. The hospital visit today marks our 229th visit.
“At the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital, our Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department is deeply committed to supporting the emotional well-being of our pediatric patients and their families,” said Cheryl Strauss, Child Life Specialist at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. “Special visits like this one with UMPS CARE Charities play an essential role in that mission. Meeting Major League Baseball umpires and receiving a Build-A-Bear® brings comfort, excitement, and lasting joy to children facing medical challenges. We are so grateful to Jennifer Skolochenko-Platt and the entire UMPS CARE team for helping us create moments that brighten spirits and build treasured memories for patients, families, and staff alike.”
Special thanks to our partners at Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Umpire Association and our UMPS CARE Charities donors for their financial and volunteer support for the Blue for Kids hospital program.
