Spirit of Children Brings Funds and Fun to Kids at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital

Approximately 50 kids at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital were treated to a fun, Halloween-themed party put on by Spirit Halloween’s Spirit of Children on Friday, October 14. Spirit of Children is Spirit Halloween’s charitable foundation, focused on making hospitals less scary for kids and their families.

The free event, hosted at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, included holiday themed games and crafts. Party guests were also able to choose from a variety of free Spirit Halloween costumes to take home with them. This is the first year Spirit of Children was able to host a party at the Children’s Hospital since the start of the pandemic.

“We were overjoyed to see our youngest patients be able to soak up the fun of Halloween while visiting the Children’s Hospital,” says Vanessa Gramm-Mackey, certified Child-Life Specialist at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. “We are so grateful for the generosity and continued support of Spirit of Children.”

The Spirit of Children is partnering with more than 150 hospitals throughout the U.S. and Canada this year, throwing parties and donating thousands of costumes this year alone. The organization raises money for child-life programs with 100% of donations staying local in the market where those funds are raised. To date, Spirit of Children has exceeded $100 million in donations to child-life. Donations can be made by visiting a local Spirt of Halloween store or visiting SpiritofChildren.com.

"Everyone at Spirit Halloween is incredibly dedicated to supporting Spirit of Children and helping to sustain the child-life programs at our partner hospitals throughout the year," said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. "What is most important to us is that, through the events and activities, children and their families have the opportunity to celebrate during the Halloween season and experience a sense of normalcy during a very trying time."

To date, the Child-Life Program at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, the region’s only children’s hospital, has received more than $730,000 from Spirit of Children. These funds have helped purchase toys and fund other age-appropriate activities and education which child-life specialists use to help ease the stress and uncertainty surrounding a visit to the hospital.

About Spirit of Children
At the heart of Spirit Halloween is Spirit of Children, a program which focuses on making hospitals less scary for kids and their families. Since its creation in 2007, Spirit of Children has raised more than $93 million for the Child Life department at hospitals across the United States and Canada. Donations to Spirit of Children stay within local communities, with 100 percent of funds going to Child Life Services. For the 2022 Halloween season, Spirit of Children will be supporting more than 150 hospitals across the country, with a goal to raise a record $18 million. Spirit encourages customers to help make a difference in a child's life this Halloween season by donating at their local Spirit Halloween or spreading awareness via Facebook and Instagram using #SpiritofChildren and #MoreCowbell in their photos. For more information, please visit: www.SpiritOfChildren.com.

About Spirit Halloween
Spirit Halloween (SpiritHalloween.com) is the largest Halloween retailer in the country, with over 1,450 locations in strip centers and malls across North America. Celebrating more than 39 years of business, Spirit is the premier destination for all things Halloween, offering one-stop shopping for everything from costumes to décor and party goods to accessories. In addition to being a fun and interactive event for shoppers, Spirit stores offer complete selections of costumes and accessories for infants/toddlers, children, 'tweens, teens, and adults, along with exclusive décor you won't find anywhere else. For more information, please visit: SpiritHalloween.com.