More than 125 children at the pediatric unit of Trinitas Regional Medical Center received gifts Friday in celebration of Three Kings Day at the seventh annual holiday event hosted by Assemblywoman Annette Quijano. The children, ages 3 to 18, are patients in the adolescent residential program, the inpatient pediatric behavioral health program and the outpatient pediatric behavioral health program.
Three Kings Day marks the end of the Christian holiday season and is celebrated throughout Latin America and Spain with festivities, music, dancing and gift-giving.
“Many of these children don’t have the opportunity to celebrate outside the hospital walls, and we have the opportunity to light up their lives a bit during their trying times,” said Quijano (D-Union). “I am overjoyed by the amount of individuals and organizations who understand the importance of putting a smile on the face of a needy child, and I couldn’t be any more proud of this community than I am today.”
Many of the individuals and organizations that donated the hundreds of gifts were on hand as the children excitedly picked their presents.
“Little acts of kindness like these really do make a world of difference in a child’s life, and that’s the sole mission of what we are trying to do here. I think their smiles say a lot,” said Quijano.