Barry Bonds Pays Surprise Visit to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital
San Francisco Giants home run king Barry Bonds paid a surprise visit to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital this week. A longtime friend and supporter of the hospital, Bonds spent the afternoon of June 23 hanging out with patients, families and hospital staff in the Barry Bonds Family Foundation Playroom before visiting one-on-one with several kids in their hospital rooms.
Bonds, who holds numerous Major League Baseball records, joined the San Francisco Giants in 1993 and played for the team through 2007.
Home Run King Barry Bonds visits with a patient in his room at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital.“UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital is thrilled to have the ongoing support of Barry Bonds and the Barry Bonds Family Foundation,” said Kimberly Scurr, interim executive director of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. “Through Barry’s generosity, our playroom has been completely renovated and is one of the most popular spaces in the hospital. A frequent visitor to the hospital, Barry has developed close ties with our kids, families and staff over the years, and has put smiles on the faces of many young patients.”
Bonds donated the funds for a much-needed renovation of the hospital’s playroom in 2009. The playroom is a safe, stress-free environment where kids of all ages can play, relax and socialize knowing they won’t face medical procedures. The room is stocked with toys, puzzles, books and craft materials, and is staffed by the hospital’s child life specialists and trained volunteers. The hospital’s full-time service dog also is a fixture in the playroom, where patients rub her tummy, play fetch and even read to her.
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital creates an environment where children and their families find compassionate care at the forefront of scientific discovery, with more than 150 experts in 50 medical specialties serving patients throughout Northern California and beyond. The hospital admits about 5,000 children each year, including 2,000 babies born in the hospital. For more information, visit www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org.
Photos by Andreas Neumann
Bonds spends time with UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital patients in the hospital’s recently renovated Barry Bonds Family Foundation Playroom.