Slam Dunk 4 Kids
Beneficiaries
Slam Dunk 4 Kids helps children battling illness and benefits both Boston Children’s Hospital and Team IMPACT.
Your support will help kids battling illness still be kids—from providing play, creative arts and family activities while in the hospital, to creating happy memories while partnered with collegiate athletic teams. Boston Children’s Hospital and Team IMPACT provide the best possible experience for every child.
The Child Life Program at Boston Children's Hospital
Boston Children’s offers patients and their families a wide variety of Child Life programs to care for the child as a whole, not just as a medical patient. These programs reduce stress, allow our kids to just be kids and help families escape the strains of illness, if only for the length of an art project or a Clown Care visit.
Child Life Specialists manage activity rooms in all inpatient units and facilitate family and patient support groups. The program also provides art and music therapy right at the bedside, helping patients voice feelings they cannot express. These activities alleviate anxiety and promote emotional and cognitive development.
Examples of what your support could help make possible include:
$50 – one day supply of balloons to bring smiles
$100 – one birthday celebration for a patient family
$750 – baby gear package for new parents in need
$1,000 – one week of arts and craft supplies for patient activities
$2,500 – small items to fill the “Treasure Box” and lift spirits
$5,000 – a year’s supply of books, dolls and other resources to prepare children for surgeries
$10,000 – Halloween activities for patients at the hospital, including costumes and a party
$20,000 – annual Winter Holiday Celebration, including a holiday store where parents can select the perfect donated toy for their sick child
Team IMPACT
Team IMPACT is a national nonprofit that changes the game for kids with serious and chronic illnesses, and the college athletes who support them. Through the program, children battling illness, ages 5-15, are drafted to local college sports teams, becoming full-fledged members who attend practices, games, community events and more. For Team IMPACT children, the program replaces the isolation of childhood illness with a full team of support and camaraderie. For the student athletes, the program provides invaluable perspective and inspiration from witnessing courageous children fight through such adversity. Since 2011, Team IMPACT has drafted 1,100 children to 450 athletic teams in 46 states—with many children being treated here at Boston Children’s Hospital. To get involved, visit www.goteamimpact.org.
