Oxford City Stars drop in to the Children's Hospital
20/12/2016
This article is more than seven years old.
The Oxford City Stars ice hockey team dropped into Oxford Children's Hospital in December 2016 to hand out Christmas presents to young patients.
Players and the club mascot, Comet, visited patients across the wards handing out gifts that had been donated from various sponsors.
"As a local team, we decided the Children's Hospital was a great cause that we wished to support. With the backing of major companies, Sega has donated activate books, joke books, collectable sonic figures and soft toys for the kids, and Mattel and Fisher price have donated a great mixture of toys, including Barbie Dolls, Hot Wheel track sets and so much more," says Shane Moore, Community Officer, Oxford City Stars.
"Intel has given us 8 Kurio2 Education computers also, to keep the kids entertained during their stay, and we are offering the children and their family free tickets to one of our games, and some team merchandise."
Members of the Trust’s Young People’s Executive, YiPpEe, helped the Stars players to hand out presents on the wards. YiPpEe members are aged 12 to 18 who have either been in hospital themselves, or have a relative or friend who has been in hospital, so all have some idea what it is like.
"It's nice to give something back to the children at this time of year and it’s also a good chance for us to find out how we can improve things in hospital for young people," said the Chair of YiPpEe, Ritu.
Senior Play Specialist at the Children's Hospital, Christine Turner, says: "The Stars came last year and the children loved it. It is fantastic to have such support from our local ice hockey team and it was great to have them here again."