Bears Deliver Signed Volleyballs to St. Louis Children's Hospital

PHOTOS

St. Louis, Mo., May 1, 2008 – The 2007 NCAA Division III National Champion Washington University volleyball team made a trip to the St. Louis Children’s Hospital on Tuesday, April 29, delivering signed volleyballs to patients as a part of the hospital’s Child Life Services program.

Baden provided the Washington University volleyball team with several hundred mini volleyballs, which members of the team signed and distributed to hospital patients on four floors.

“We wanted to give back to the community that supports us in all of our endeavors, and a visit to the Children's Hospital seemed like an emotionally enriching opportunity,” team captain Nikki Morrison said. “The experience reminded our team that smiles are powerfully contagious, and there was a real sense of gratification each time we were able to break through to a child and share a laugh and a smile.”

The team split into two groups and made more than two-dozen patient bedside visits. The trip was one of several philanthropic activities the squad has undertaken this spring

The St. Louis Children’s Hospital Child Life Services Program enables patients to enjoy normal play experiences and socialization, as a way to promote normal development during hospitalization. The department works with patients and families to develop ways to cope with stresses of hospitalization, through the utilization of recreational and educational activities.