Wednesday, March 26, 2003

Family event features children helping children

The 12th annual Children's Hospice Big-To-Do at the Zoo will take place Sunday, April 27, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Zoo Atlanta. The family-friendly event benefits Visiting Nurse Health System's Children's Hospice Program, an interdisciplinary team of nurses, social workers and volunteers who provide critically ill children and their families the special medical care, comfort and support they need to cope with illness, suffering and death.

The Big-To-Do has become one of the most popular fundraisers in the community for the entire family. This year's event will feature children's activities presented by the North Springs High School InterAct Club, the Stone Mountain Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, and the Zone 3 Police Department, hands-on animal encounters and unlimited rides on the Norfolk Southern Zoo Express Train and the Nabisco Endangered Species Carousel. Toe-tapping musical entertainment will be generously donated by The Blend and a mouth-watering buffet dinner will be catered by Bennett Brown's LowCountry Barbecue. Special guest appearances by Atlanta Thrashers' mascot Thrash and Atlanta Beat soccer players are sure to delight young and older guests alike.

The Children's Hospice Big-To-Do at the Zoo focuses on children helping children in need. Children attending the event can join the Big-To-Do Kids' Committee by bringing new art supplies (colored pencils, coloring books, crayons, etc.) to the event, to be donated to Children's Hospice patients in the program.

Last year's Big-To-Do raised over $115,000 for terminally ill children and families in the 26-county metropolitan Atlanta area. Organizers anticipate a successful event again this year.

Event sponsorships are available at $1,000, $2,500 and $5,000 levels. Benefactors can support the event at the $500 level, and Patrons can support at the $200 level. Sponsors and Benefactors are invited to a private Preview Party at the Mzima Springs Tent, featuring special children's entertainment, complimentary hors d'oeuvres and beverages.

Individual reservations are $50 each for adults, and $15 for children ages 3-15. Children under 3 years of age are free. For more information, or to make reservations, call 404-527-0670.

The Children's Hospice Program is a division of Visiting Nurse Health System (VNHS), Atlanta's largest not-for-profit home health care organization serving 26 counties. The program serves a daily caseload of 45 patients, making it one of the largest pediatric hospice programs in the country. Events such as the Big-To-Do are vital to raising the funds needed to provide care to Children's Hospice patients of all ages, diagnoses or socioeconomic levels.

In addition to offering specialized pediatric hospice and palliative care programs, VNHS provides a full range of home health services for adults and children, including: home health aides; hospice in-home care; hospice in-patient facility; nursing; medical social work; occupational therapy; physical therapy; medical equipment; respiratory therapy; speech therapy; AIDS health services; Alzheimer's respite care program; disease management; infusion therapy; and an in-house pharmacy.