Live on the air, heard throughout the hospital. Volunteers are broadcasting to their target audience: patients.
Radio Lollipop coordinator, Leslie White said, “we air three nights a week. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.”
The program is completely volunteer driven.
“The main focus is to bring hospitalized children play and fun,” White explained. “We have volunteers who go down and hang out with the kids in their rooms. They get to do arts and crafts activities that match the theme that we have going on in our studio. The kids can call in. They can hear their own voices.”
Just like a regular radio show, listeners can win prizes. In the studio, patients that are able to visit can play games, make song requests, do arts and crafts, and the whole family is encouraged to come along as well.
“It’s just a time for them to not think about what’s going on individually with their care or their health. It’s just a time for them to specifically have fun, and do normal kid things,” White said.
Debbie’s Prout has been volunteering here since Radio Lollipop’s began in October of 1999.
“Coming here and helping the kids brighten their day, even if it’s just for a moment in time, then we’ve done our job here at Radio Lollipop, and it gives you that warm fuzzy feeling that you know you’ve made a sick child smile for the first time in days,” Prout told us.
To keep Radio Lollipop on the air, it not only relies on volunteers, but donations as well.
White said, “We give out a box of crayons. We give out glitter pens. We give out construction paper, crafts and stickers. Every single week with just the supplies, we go through about $250 to $500. So donations are extremely helpful for our patients and our families just because other than that, we are affording that ourselves.”
(original story courtesy of abc13.com)