It was an exciting afternoon when Joe Wessely, Board Chair of enCourage Kids Foundation (EKF), presented a $50,000 check to Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital in support of KidZone TV in memory of EKF’s late CEO Michele Hall-Duncan. Diane Rode, Senior Director, Patient and Family Centered Care, and Dennis Charney, M.D., Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of Icahn Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs of the Mount Sinai Health System, were on hand to receive the check and join in on the fun with the pediatric patients.
The gift was given through EKF’s Jay Anderson Pediatric Hospital Support Fund, which funds projects in pediatric facilities that would otherwise not be funded through hospital budgets.
“On behalf of EKF, it was such a pleasure to donate $50,000 in Michele’s honor to KidZone TV, a state-of-the-art interactive production and broadcast studio offering live and pre-recorded programming for viewing within the hospital. We are grateful for their hard work and long-term partnership,” stated Joe Wessely.
“Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital is enormously grateful to EKF for their generous support and presence in our mission to humanize healthcare for our children and families. For over 30 years, EKF has been at the forefront nationally of responding to the needs of child life programs and services for pediatric patients. We dedicate this generous gift in memory of the life’s work of Michele Hall-Duncan and her formative leadership with this dynamic and innovative organization,” said Diane Rode.
Special guest and EKF ambassador, WABC Sports Anchor Ryan Field, played sports trivia alongside Dr. Charney, and brought smiles to the patients who played and asked sports questions from their bedsides.
“It was such a fun afternoon playing sports trivia with the patients and their families at KZTV Studio. I’m honored to work with EKF and proud of their generous donation today. I look forward to the next time that I can test my sports knowledge and put a smile on the faces of hospitalized children,” said Ryan Field.
“KidZone TV Studio was filled with laughter and excitement as our patients and families enjoyed an afternoon of fun with EKF and Ryan Field! We feel so fortunate to have EKF as a partner,” stated Morgan Stojanowski, Director, Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy.
