Virtua Celebrates $1M in Donations from Spirit of Children with Dedication of New Sensory Room
Spirit Halloween, the largest Halloween retailer in North America, is also known for its spirit of philanthropy. Through its Spirit of Children initiative, the Egg Harbor Township-based company has raised and donated $127 million to more than 160 pediatric hospitals since 2006, including more than $1 million to child-life services at Virtua Health since 2011.
“We want children receiving care at our facilities to have the best possible experience, and that means creating opportunities for calming and self-regulation,” said Pam Gallus, MSN, RN, NE-BC, assistant vice president of patient care services at Virtua Mount Holly and Virtua Willingboro Hospitals. “Thanks to the generosity of Spirit Halloween shoppers across South Jersey, and the tireless work of Spirit of Children, Virtua can offer programs and services that foster good mental and physical health and bring joy to kids and their families.”
“From daily programmatic support to continuing education for Virtua’s certified child-life specialists and so much more, our work hugely benefits from the generosity of Spirit of Children and other community partners,” adds Sarah Fawcett-Lee, FAHP, CFRE, senior vice president and chief philanthropy officer for Virtua Health.
New to Virtua Mount Holly Hospital—and fully funded by Spirit of Children—is a specially designed sensory room in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia | Virtua Health pediatric pavilion. The room features comfortable, adaptive furniture and hands-on elements, including fiber optic lights, interactive projector experiences, and more. Inspired by the widely praised sensory rooms at the Virtua-staffed Burlington County COVID-19 Vaccine Mega-Centers in Moorestown and Mount Laurel, the sensory room helps children decompress, self-regulate, and even receive medical treatment in a setting that’s more responsive and friendly than the standard hospital room.
“While we anticipate all pediatric patients will benefit from this special space, we especially look forward to providing extra support to patients with autism, ADHD, and other health considerations,” said Gallus. “To curate the best experience for these young people and their families, we must recognize each person as a unique individual.”
Virtua Voorhees Hospital opened a sensory room last month, and Virtua Primary Care at 2225 Evesham Road in Voorhees has one as well.
Fall is the Season of Giving at Spirit Halloween
In 2024, Spirit of Children is partnering with 161 hospitals nationwide to raise much-needed donations for Child Life departments. Fourteen Spirit Halloween locations throughout South Jersey will directly support Virtua this year.
“It’s been incredible to see the amazing work our South Jersey neighbors at Virtua have done through the years in helping so many children and their families,” said Richard Tereo, director of the Spirit of Children Foundation. “Being able to pass $1 million in donations to Virtua and seeing the sensory room open is meaningful to all of us at Spirit of Children, and we look forward to more milestones in the future.”
Virtua first partnered with Spirit of Children in 2011. Each winter since, Virtua Health has received a grant representing funds raised in the previous season.
Now, in “lucky” year 13 of the partnership, Spirit of Children’s collective contribution to Virtua is expected to surpass – the $1M milestone. Fewer than one in four Spirit partner hospitals nationwide have reached this benchmark, to date.
In addition to the sensory rooms, Spirit of Children grants funded the 2018-19 renovation of the CHOP | Virtua pediatric emergency department (complete with a colorful underseas theme); a special built-in movie system for the pediatric MRI machine; and a 2/3-size mock MRI machine that empowers children to better anticipate and understand the procedure.
“All of these projects and offerings allow us to relate to children in a meaningful way,” said Samantha Greenbaum, nurse director for pediatrics at Virtua Voorhees Hospital. “Parents will often express gratitude for how we engage with kids, so they feel informed about and involved in their own care.”
Halloween Inside a Hospital
Spirit of Children also hosts a Halloween party each October for children receiving hospital care at Virtua Mount Holly and Virtua Voorhees. The party includes costumed characters, arts and crafts, games, treats, and, of course, a wide array of Halloween costumes for children to select, wear, and keep.
“The Spirit of Children party is so much fun every year,” said Virtua child-life specialist Christina Conlan, MPH, CCLS. “We know our patients are disappointed to miss out on the festivities happening in their school or neighborhood, so it’s special to have Spirit of Children bring Halloween to them.”
“For a company with more than 1,500 retail locations nationwide, Spirit Halloween demonstrates an exceptionally strong understanding of what it means to support healthy communities on the local level,” said Fawcett-Lee. “Virtua is grateful to have such a terrific partner.”
To learn more about how Virtua’s Child Life program and our generous donors are supporting children during their stay in the hospital, click here.