Nicklaus Children’s Hospital received donations of more than 30,000 toys for patients on Saturday, December 16, during its annual Spread Joy Toy Drive – one of the largest hauls in the event’s history. Thanks to the generosity of the South Florida community, toys with an estimated value of $607,000, were gifted to the hospital to brighten the days of children receiving care at the 309-bed pediatric specialty hospital.
Each year, the holiday tradition brings together corporate partners and individuals who donate new, unwrapped toys to help bring extra cheer to patients who are admitted at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital during the holidays and throughout the year.
This year, a special donation was made for a little boy with special needs. Bradley, who is experiencing developmental delays that affect his speech and ability to walk, received an SUV custom-built by CCC Miami.
On the eight days of Hanukkah and on Christmas morning, every patient admitted at Nicklaus Children’s will wake up with a gift bag of toys and other goodies tailored to their age range. The remaining toys are used throughout the year for patients and their siblings as birthday presents and prizes, milestone gifts, going-home gifts, and for therapy and education.
This year’s toy drive was sponsored by Delta, FPL, Pacin Levine Attorneys at Law, Dunkin, Shake Shack and DJ Yuny.
In addition to the drop-off, there are Amazon lists to choose from and the Virtual Toy Drive, which you can donate to all year long!
Learn more and help spread joy to Nicklaus Children’s patients at www.nicklauschildrens.org/spreadjoy.
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.