$5 Million Donation Bolsters Pediatric Care in Washington, D.C.
A $5 million donation to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, in Washington, D.C., will support multiple pediatric areas of the hospital, including a brand-new rooftop helipad to aid in access to emergency care for pediatric trauma patents.
The donation came a couple months ago from Ted and Lynn Leonis—both alumni of Georgetown University.
“Supporting this world-class facility at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in service to the students, neighbors and the entire Greater D.C. region is a big moment for us all,” says Ted Leonsis, founder and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, in a news release.
“To be involved with something that will save a life because patients are able to get
the treatment that they need very quickly is a great privilege and honor.”
In particular, the Leonsis donation will help critically ill newborns in the neonatal
intensive care unit (NICU), one of the few Level IV NICUs in the DMV, the release states. It will also support physical therapy and the emergency department play space.
The helipad will be atop the Verstandig Pavilion, which opened back in December. The pavilion has 31 operating rooms, 31 private rooms in an expanded emergency department and 156 private patient rooms to support patients and loved ones.
This is not the first donation from the Leonsis family. In the fall, Monumental Sports, also owned by the family, donated $1 million to D.C. Safe Babies Safe Moms, a collaborative initiative with MedStar Health focused on local maternal and infant health. Other contributions in 2019 and 2022 supported COVID needs and sports medicine.
“We are grateful to the Leonsis family for caring so deeply for people they will likely never get to meet, but our patients for generations to come will benefit from this act of generosity and the commitment to the region,” said Ken Samet, president and CEO of MedStar Health.
-Braden Hamelin
Annual Conference Supports Blended Families in the DMV
What is a blended family? According to Sharon Kelly, a family is “blended” when there is parenting happening with children from previous relationships, including co-parenting after a divorce, remarrying after a divorce or death, among other situations.
Kelly is the founder of the PowerMax Company, which holds an annual conference to support blended families through what can be a more unique and challenging parenting journey.
The conference supports the mission of PowerMax, founded in 2017 and now a nonprofit since 2019, to serve underprivileged and blended families throughout Virginia’s Prince William County.
“There’s so many blended families that are being established right now. And because of that, it’s important for conferences, to which we have to be present and available, to help families navigate it,” Kelly says.
This year’s StepFamily Blended with Love Conference was held last month in Woodbridge, Virginia, featuring six speakers with subject matter expertise on blended families and co-parenting, among other things, along with a complimentary breakfast and lunch and a non-alcoholic sip and paint activity.
Kelly says that the main goal of the conference is to provide access to education and resources for blended families and produce better outcomes for relationships and childhood development through proper blended family practices. It also helps blended families strengthen their bonds.
“Oftentimes, what happens [in these blended families] is there’s a lot more focus on the relationship and not enough focus on the children who are impacted by this,” Kelly says.
-Braden Hamelin
Father-Daughter Weekends
Fathers and daughters have a special bond. This April, two Bible-based camps are offering father-daughter retreats where dads and their mini-mes can make memories.
Joy El Camps & Retreats, in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, is hosting a faith-based weekend getaway (April 12-14) for fathers and daughters in first through twelfth grades.
(joyelcamps.org) Cedarbrook Camp Mid Atlantic’s retreat will welcome fathers and daughters ages 6 to 12 to its Tel Hai Camp & Retreat in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania (April 19-21). (By press time, registration will have closed March 29.) cedarbrookmidatlantic.org
Immersive Gamebox Launches ‘Black Mirror’ Teen Gaming Experience
Immersive Gamebox, based in Arlington, Virginia, recently launched Black Mirror Careers (BMC), a new gaming experience that puts players’ problem-solving, reflexes and resilience to the test to determine what kind of job they would have in an AI-dominated world.
Teens may be familiar with the game’s inspiration—the Black Mirror TV series, a modern take on “The Twilight Zone” with episodes that focus on unease around new technology.
BMC, which was launched in partnership with Netflix/Banijay, can accommodate two to six players in a group at a time. Players wear motion-sensor visors and move around the room to control their avatars and pieces to solve puzzles and navigate fast-paced challenges.
The gaming experience lasts one hour, and players are moving the entire time.
In one of the levels, players duck and jump to control when their avatar does. At the end of the game, players’ scores are tallied up and they can see what their career would be in the Black Mirror universe.
While this new release is for kids 16 and older, Immersive Gamebox has something for everyone—including kids as young as 5. The Paw Patrol game also lasts for 60 minutes, so families can divide and conquer.
Plan your visit to Immersive Gamebox or learn more at immersivegamebox.com.
-Heather Ross
