Interactive Jaguars Den Opens at Wolfson Children's Hospital
Jacksonville, Florida, September 16, 2008 -- Patients at Wolfson Children's Hospital will no longer feel alone when a new high-tech game room officially opens its door to pediatric patients.
The room, called the Jaguars Den, officially opened on September 16 on the fifth floor of Wolfson Children's Hospital. A dedication ceremony was held today to kick-off the room opening.
The Jaguars Den includes translucent screens hanging on the walls and lighting that changes colors. The main attractions are several XBox 360 video game consoles and personal computers with video conferencing capabilities that make it possible for children at Wolfson to communicate with patients in other children's hospitals, friends, family and even celebrities anywhere in the world.
The Jaguars Den is a concept developed by National Hockey League Hall of Fame player Pat LaFontaine and the charitable organization he founded, the Companions in Courage Foundation. The Jaguars Den is patterned after Lions Dens at seven children’s hospitals nationwide.
"These one-of-a-kind rooms ensure that no child in the fight for life or health should ever have to go through it alone," says LaFontaine.
The Jaguars Den creates an environment that helps meet the experiential and emotional needs of hospitalized children. The features of the room are designed to stimulate children in ways that will distract from the pain and emotional distress associated with being hospitalized.
The Jaguars Den was made possible through a lead gift from The Rotary Club of Deerwood, coordinated by member Eddie Allen.
"The Rotary Club of Deerwood has always been focused on the needs of children in our community," said Dan Dieterle, president of the Rotary Club of Deerwood. Our club's involvement in funding and leading the team that organized the Jaguars Den is one of our proudest moments, and should serve the children at Wolfson Children's Hospital for years to come."
Additional donations were made by the Jacksonville Jaguars, LTD, and the Jacksonville Jaguars players. Wayne Weaver, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, says: "The partnership between the Jaguars and Baptist Health continues to grow and benefit this community in many ways. The Jaguars and our players were glad to contribute to help make the Jaguars Den at Wolfson become a reality, and we're looking forward to seeing our players and these boys and girls using this technology to interact with each other. Our hope is that this will inspire and encourage these children and help them connect with some of their heroes while they are hospitalized."
Jack Del Rio, head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, says the Jaguars are proud to be part of the Jaguars Den. "The Jaguars Den is a great example of the kind of activity we urge our players to get involved in," he states. "An interactive game room is a natural, both for the players who like to play video games and for these boys and girls who need encouragement and support. This is a great addition at Wolfson and something that our players will enjoy being a part of."
The Jaguars Den and Lions Dens were designed by Edwin Schlossberg and his renowned ESI Design team in New York City. The dens' primary sponsors are Microsoft, Cisco Systems and DuPont™.
