ShopRite and Colgate-Palmolive Donate Starlight Fun Center to Children's Hospital

PRESS RELEASENEWARK, NJ (Dec. 14, 2016) — Starlight Children’s Foundation today unveiled a new state-of-the-art Starlight Fun Center mobile entertainment unit that will brighten the lives of children who are admitted to the pediatric emergency room at Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. The gift was made on behalf of ShopRite stores in the Northeast as part of a $500,000 donation from Colgate-Palmolive that will place more than 40 Starlight Fun Centers in pediatric facilities across the US.

Powered by the latest WiiU system from Nintendo, the Starlight Fun Center offers online access to family friendly video games, movies, documentaries, educational content and streaming television programs. Fun Centers roll anywhere indoors to provide seriously ill or injured children and their families with the healing power of play through hours of fun, distraction and a much-needed sense of normalcy while in the hospital.

“For more than 20 years, Starlight Fun Centers have transformed the hospital experience for sick kids and their families by providing moments of joy and happiness during stressful times,” said Samantha Martinez, Director of Programs for Starlight. “We are so grateful to our longtime partners at Colgate-Palmolive and the incredible team at ShopRite for donating a Starlight Fun Center to the kids and families supported by our community partner Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.”

"ShopRite is thrilled to partner with Colgate and Starlight Children's Foundation to bring this unique mobile entertainment unit to the Children's Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. We hope the youngest patients in the hospital will feel a little more at home with some of their very favorite video games, movies and TV shows readily available with the Starlight Fun Center," said Neil Greenstein, owner and operator of the ShopRite of Newark.

“We are excited to bring this innovative new fun station to our pediatric patients. Thanks to the Starlight Children’s Foundation, Colgate and ShopRite, we can offer a bit of fun and fantasy to our most vulnerable patients when they need it the most,” said Darrell K. Terry, Sr., President and CEO of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey.

Doctors, nurses, child life staff integrate the Starlight Fun Center into physical therapy and other treatments often reducing the need for pain medication, shortening hospital stays and enhancing the overall healing experience for children.

For more information about the Starlight Fun Center or any of the other entertainment, educational or technology programs offered by Starlight, please contact Samantha Martinez, Director of Programs, at samantha.martinez@starlight.org or 424-245-3665.