STF gifts $75,000 to Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital for new book program

Jun 24, 2020 | 11:22 AM

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) is sending its support to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation for a new reading program.

According to a media release, the STF gifted $75,000 to the Foundation for The Book Mobile program to provide children with different types of books while in hospital. This program is meant to encourage reading for not only children but for them to read with their parents or caregivers and will be for children of all ages.

“As educators, we are passionate about literacy and are extremely proud to support The Book Mobile,” Patrick Maze, the president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation. “Books can teach us, provide comfort, make us laugh and transport us to far-away places. We hope the magic of a good book helps make the hospital stay a little easier for our province’s youngest patients and their families.”

The ‘book nook’ will be located in the hospital’s Child Life Zone — a 2,800 square foot play area. There will also be a cart is filled with books to wheel to patients’ rooms for them to read and the selection of books is replenished daily to keep long term patients interested. The books are cleaned afterwards and returned to the cart or given as a gift to some patients in isolation or those being discharged.

“Good health and education are essential to a child’s development. Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation believes that specialized programs are essential, especially when a sick child requires a hospital stay,” Brynn Boback-Lane, the president and CEO of the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation, said. “We know this new reading program will help children and teens develop literacy skills, as well as find a sense of normalcy and comfort when being treated in the hospital. The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation has partnered with us to ensure that patients in the children’s hospital receive this opportunity, and for that, we are grateful for their important contribution to the overall wellness of Saskatchewan kids.”