University of Memphis Athletics
Fans Encouraged to Bring Toys for Le Bonheur Saturday
Aug 27, 2007 | Football
Aug. 27, 2007
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Fans for both the University of Memphis and Ole Miss are encouraged to bring a gift to Saturday's football opener. The unwrapped toys, games, dolls, books and sports equipment and memorabilia, will all be given to Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center for use in the Bunny Room. The Bunny Room allows a child being treated at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital to pick a toy or game before undergoing surgery.
Le Bonheur has treated children from 47 different states, but its normal referral area is 95 different counties in six different states and to date, has handed out more than 26,873 toys, books and games through the Bunny Room. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Le Bonheur provided lifesaving care to 1,200 children in 2005. Approximately 819 of these critically ill babies and children were transported via Pedi-Flite, Le Bonheur's critical care transport team. In that same year, the board-certified emergency physicians at Le Bonheur cared for more than 68,000 children in the hospital's Emergency Department, making it one of the 10 busiest pediatric emergency departments in the United States. The hospital performs over 8,400 operations a year, meaning lots of donations are needed for the Bunny Room.
Fans are asked to not wrap their donations. Collection of the donated toys for the Bunny Room will be at the gates of the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Le Bonheur is in need of the following for the Bunny Room:
New unwrapped toys
Games
Dolls
Plush toys
Hand-held electronics
Books and journals
Sporting equipment
Sports memorabilia
For more information on toy donations, call 901.278.6308.
