Rocky Mountain Region's first Child Life ZONE for pediatric patients and their families

An all-star cast of sports heroes and community activists, including Garth Brooks, Troy Aikman, John Elway, Kyle Orton, Brian Griese, Haven Moses and others, will gather Saturday, April 24th for a VIP ribbon cutting to officially open the Rocky Mountain Region's first - and only - Child Life ZONE. The ZONE is a 3,300 square foot, state-of-the-art therapeutic and educational refuge for Denver Health's pediatric patients and their families. It will serve as the centerpiece for Denver Health's new Child Life program, and marks the 150-year-old hospital's expansion into providing children with emotional support and effective coping through play, preparation, education and self-expression activities.

The ZONE was awarded to Denver Health by The Garth Brooks Teammates For Kids Foundation in partnership with the Troy Aikman Foundation. Teammates For Kids is based in Denver and co-founded by Garth Brooks to work in partnership with professional athletes, celebrities, organizations and fans to generate funds for children's charities. There are currently seven ZONES located at top hospitals across the country, and plans are underway for the first international ZONE to open in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The ZONE is designed to meet the special needs of children coping with illness and hospitalization on both an in- and out-patient basis. It is a critical element in the healing cycle and offers pediatric patients and their families a safe haven from daily hospital realities - there are no needles and no treatments permitted within The ZONE. The ZONE was built as the backbone of the new Child Life division at Denver Health and features spaces for relaxing, playing and learning, and a variety of project rooms for games, arts and crafts, an area for kitchen projects, TV studios where kids produce their own shows, and The Thunder Resource Library, named in honor of the Denver Broncos' mascot. Additionally, The ZONE features an outdoor playground area.

The ZONE will be staffed by Child Life Specialists who become an integral part of a child's treatment. These specialists rely on shared best practices to serve as a bridge between medical treatments and therapeutic needs in order to give each child an optimal chance to heal.