Mayor’s Youth Commission Collecting Toys For Hospitalized Children

Going to the hospital can be a frightening and unsettling experience for children.
Being hospitalized takes children away from their normal surroundings, and they oftentimes don’t understand why certain medical procedures or treatments have to be done. But, some comforting help is on its way.

Fifty local high school students, who are all members of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission (MYAC), are coordinating a toy drive that they hope will help make children’s hospital stays a little less scary.

“We wanted to do something positive for kids who may not necessarily be having the best of times,” said MYAC President Megan Miller, who is a senior at Mountain Ridge High School. “So we chose Andrea’s Closet because we felt it was a good way to connect with local children in our community.”

Andrea’s Closet is a toy program at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale that brings pediatric patients comfort and distraction from their pain by allowing them to choose a special gift from the toy-filled closet. MYAC is collecting new, unwrapped toys to donate to Andrea’s Closet that will help console kids during some of their toughest moments.

MYAC members have set up collection bins at their respective high schools for students to drop off toys through April 25. Residents can also get involved in the toy drive by donating a new, unwrapped toy at participating high schools.

To find out which Glendale high schools are participating in the toy drive, call Rob Bohr in the Office of the Mayor at 623-930-2260. All toy donations must be received by 2 p.m. Friday, April 25.

“Donating a toy may seem like a small gesture, but it can go a long way in aiding a child facing a medical procedure,” says Bo Larson, public relations director at Banner Thunderbird. “We applaud the efforts of the mayor’s youth commission for initiating this community service project that will benefit our younger patients.”