Thousands of families kicked off the holiday season at the Shops of Merrick Park this November for the outdoor mall’s annual Christmas tree lighting holiday celebration.
The glittering event, hosted by WSVN’s Belkys Nerey and Coral Gables Mayor Raul Valdex-Fauli, featured many holiday-themed treats and activities for children, toy soldiers on stilts, children’s performances, and a visit from the big man himself, Santa Claus.
Attendees donated hundreds of new, unwrapped toys for the patients at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, to kick off the annual Spread Joy Toy Drive. The toys, which will be gifted to admitted patients on Christmas morning, are being collected December 3 through 23 at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s Blue Garage Registration Office. Visit nicklauschildrens.org/spreadjoy to get more information on when to drop off your toy donations, and what is on our patient’s wish list.
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Where Children Matter Most (2024)
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South
Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with approximately
850 attending physicians, including more than 500 pediatric subspecialists. The 307-bed
hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs
routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The
hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern
United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing
Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional
honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.