Spirit Halloween Superstores donates $39,632 to UC Davis Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department
UC Davis Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department will continue to train individuals to become certified child life specialists at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, thanks to this year’s donation by Spirit Halloween Superstores.
Kirk and Shanda Pierce, who operate the Halloween pop-up stores in the Sacramento region, donated $39,632 in a check presentation last Friday. Many Spirit Halloween Superstore managers in the Sacramento region attended the check presentation and celebration lunch, including Spirit Halloween Superstore manager Jasmine Lawson and her daughter Arianna Kelton-Hedding, who was treated at UC Davis Children’s Hospital after she was attacked by a dog.
“Arianna is part of our Spirit Halloween family and we are glad to give back to the hospital that did so much for her,” said Shanda Pierce. “The UC Davis Child Life team really helped her and her family through her hospitalization.”
Spirit Halloween Superstores has donated $344,630 since it first partnered with UC Davis Children’s Hospital.
The funds pay for child life fellows to work in various parts of the hospital, including the pediatric intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, children’s surgery center, pediatric infusion room, pediatrics unit and radiology, under the supervision of certified child life specialists. Eleven child life fellows have completed the program.
The UC Davis Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department helps to minimize the anxiety of hospitalization, increase understanding and strengthen coping skills while helping children to continue their typical growth and development.
“We just want to thank everyone with the Spirit Halloween. We are so honored to be your partner and have you represent us,” said Judie Boehmer, director of patient care services. “Because of you guys every child that is in our hospital has access to a Child Life specialist. We now have Child Life sitting with children when they are getting their IV and when they’re getting their blood taken. Also, we’ve been able to decrease our use of sedation for children that have x-ray, MRI, CT scan examinations, which means they get to go home and have a quicker recovery.”
The donation is part of a nationwide corporate program by Spirit Halloween Superstores that raises millions of dollars each year for children’s hospitals across the country. Spirit Halloween Superstores also donates a Halloween party for children’s hospital inpatients and their siblings. Last October, Spirit Halloween Superstores threw a Halloween party for UC Davis patients and siblings, which included free costumes (which were donated from the Spirit Halloween vendors), decorations, arts and crafts, and a visit from the Power Rangers.
UC Davis Children’s Hospital is the Sacramento region’s only nationally ranked, comprehensive hospital providing care for infants, children, adolescents and young adults with primary, subspecialty and critical care. It includes the Central Valley’s only pediatric emergency department and Level I pediatric trauma center, which offers the highest level of care for its critically ill patients, as well as the West Coast’s only Level I children’s surgery center. The 129-bed children’s hospital includes the state-of-the-art 49-bed neonatal and 24-bed pediatric intensive care and pediatric cardiac intensive care units. For more information, visit children.ucdavis.edu.