BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart today visited patients at Boston Children’s Hospital, hand-delivering Project Sunshine “Creative Arts & Crafts Kits” with Optum executives.
More than 1,000 kits were created and assembled at the Feb. 1 Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat game by more than 100 UnitedHealth Group/Optum volunteers and student volunteers from Boston University and Northeastern University. The kits were distributed to children at Boston pediatric hospitals this week.
“Having fun is an important part of being a kid – and really important for kids who are facing health challenges,” said Smart. “I am happy to be able to meet these special kids and bring smiles to their faces – and then leave a little something fun to work on later.”
This “Sending Sunshine” event is one of several programs that Project Sunshine has created to help children be children while they are undergoing medical care. The arts & crafts packages contain educational and entertaining crafts to provide children facing significant medical challenges some much-needed fun.
“We are happy to collaborate with the Celtics and Project Sunshine to bring smiles to children who are experiencing health challenges,” said Lenny Driscoll, Optum’s Executive Client Manager for the State of Mass. “Project Sunshine shares a commitment to building healthy communities and provides a great opportunity to engage our employee volunteers.”
Since beginning its relationship with Project Sunshine in 2010, more than 13,200 UnitedHealth Group and Optum volunteers have created more than 63,000 “Creative Arts and Crafts Kits” and more than 18,300 “Sunny Grams” for pediatric patients across the country. These volunteers have supported more than 23,000 children and their families. The Boston Celtics and Optum, a UnitedHealth Group company, are committed to work together for the betterment of the greater Boston community through joint-volunteer efforts at schools, hospitals and playgrounds.
About Project Sunshine
Project Sunshine (www.projectsunshine.org) is a non-profit organization that provides free educational, recreational and social programs to children facing medical challenges and their families. Project Sunshine recruits, trains and coordinates a dynamic and dedicated corps of more than 15,000 volunteers to bring programming – recreational (arts), educational (tutoring and mentoring) and social service (HIV and nutritional counseling) – to 100,000 children facing medical challenges and their families in 175 cities across the United States and in four international locations: Canada, China, Israel and Kenya. Volunteers selflessly donate their time to create program materials and deliver programs. Working onsite, volunteers relieve the anxiety of young patients and in a context of fun and play, foster in them the courage and coping skills necessary to confront procedures that lie ahead. Project Sunshine volunteers spread sunshine, restoring a crucial sense of normalcy to the pediatric health care environment.
About Optum
Optum is a leading information and technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping make the health system work better for everyone. With more than 80,000 people worldwide, Optum delivers intelligent, integrated solutions that help to modernize the health system and improve overall population health. Optum is part of the UnitedHealth Group.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making health care work better. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. Through its businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves more than 85 million people worldwide. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter.
About the Boston Celtics
A charter member of the Basketball Association of America (which evolved into the National Basketball Association) since 1946, the Boston Celtics have won a record 17 NBA Championships, including eight (8) in a row from 1959-1966, winning its first title in 1957 and its most recent in 2008. The Celtics have long stood for equality and respect, including hiring the first African American Coach and starting the first all-black starting five. In addition, 35 former Celtics players, management and staff have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In December 2002, the team returned to local ownership for the first time since 1963. For more information on the Celtics, log on to www.celtics.com.
About Boston Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1869 as a 20-bed hospital for children, Boston Children’s Hospital has been ranked as one of the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for the past 21 years. Boston Children’s Hospital is the primary pediatric teaching hospital for Harvard Medical School and the largest provider of health care for children who live in Massachusetts.
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