We are glad to share with you the translated version of our latest press release originally in Latvian.
Please note that the following content has been automatically translated to English.
Garden Festival at the Children’s Hospital gathers more than 700 attendees.
On June 1, after a three-year hiatus, the eighth edition of the Children’s Hospital Garden Festival took place, bringing together over 700 participants, including young patients, parents, hospital staff, and guests. The event aimed to collectively celebrate the International Day for the Protection of Children’s Rights. The festive atmosphere was provided not only by various educational activities for children and treats from different restaurants and Latvian producers but also by musical performances and even a visit from Latvia’s national ice hockey team stars.
During the Garden Festival, children had the opportunity to participate in educational workshops on child safety and rights, alongside the Ministry of Health’s campaign “Turn Courage into Safety!” mobile workshop “Child-Safe Home,” representatives of the State Police, Emergency Medical Service crews, State Fire and Rescue Service personnel, and representatives of the Ombudsman’s office. Young festival attendees also learned more about healthy nutrition from the creators and implementers of the Children’s Hospital’s healthy eating movement “Eat with Joy” menu – the hospital’s nutrition specialists Lizete Puga and chef Jēkabs Naumovs, as well as catering service manager Everita Skrūzmane. The Children’s Hospital’s portal Veselapasaule.lv offered pediatric games for children in their tent to familiarize them with the manipulations performed in the hospital. Representatives of the VoiCEs project and the Pedagogy Department “Enjoy with Joy” provided developmental activities for the little ones.
“After a three-year hiatus, the tradition of the Children’s Hospital Garden Festival returns with a highly packed and diverse event program. Joy and mutual support help in healing, so, as usual, our Garden Festival brings together not only young patients and their families but also our specialists and their children, as well as a series of responsive and excellent Latvian restaurants and businesses. If there is one day a year when a child could be happy to end up in the Children’s Hospital, it is today. Sincere thanks to everyone who supports the Garden Festival with their presence and contribution, creating many and varied sources of joy for our children. Thanks to the company “Maxima” for friendship and tireless support to the Children’s Hospital and the Garden Festival tradition, and thanks to the Society Integration Foundation for joining our team to make this year’s festival especially magnificent and fulfilling,” expressed Liene Dambiņa, Head of the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
“The Garden Festival allows patients of the Children’s Hospital to experience truly happy moments. At the Children’s Hospital, we take care of the environment at every step, which promotes recovery. To ensure and improve the children’s experience in the hospital, since last year, we have given the opportunity not only for parents and teenagers but also for the youngest patients to tell about everything experienced in the hospital by filling out the questionnaire developed by the VoiCEs project. This international project allows us not only to share what we have improved in the hospital by analyzing children’s responses but also to learn from the experience of other European hospitals. Children’s voices must be listened to, they must be taken into account – we emphasized this in one of the Garden Festival activity tents. Studies show that respecting children’s rights, allowing them to be informed about the treatment process and involved in it, helps in recovery,” acknowledged Zane Straume, member of the Children’s Hospital Board.
“The well-being of families and children has always been one of the priorities of “Maxima Latvia,” so I want to thank the doctors and staff of the Children’s Hospital, who do selfless work every day to take care of our children’s health! Also, a big thank you to the Children’s Hospital Foundation for eight years of friendship, jointly creating a better everyday life for children and parents who have to spend some time in the hospital. We are especially pleased that together with the Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Children’s Hospital, we have managed to establish the Garden Festival as a nice tradition for eight years, giving real festive feelings to the little patients and hospital staff,” said Jānis Beseris, Corporate Communications Director of SIA “Maxima Latvia.”
The Garden Festival was splendid and extensive, but there are many patients in the Children’s Hospital who could not or should not go outside. For them, the Pedagogy Department employees organized other activities – T-shirt painting. Everyone also enjoyed festival treats. Particularly delicious treats, thanks to the care of “Maxima Latvia,” were received by patients at the Children’s Hospital branch “Gaiļezers.” The Pedagogy Department “Enjoy with Joy” had also organized wood workshops supported by SIA “Gemos.”
The festival organizers express their great thanks to the restaurants that took care of the festive treats, offering a diverse and healthy menu. Thanks to the restaurants “Neiburgs,” “Mālpils muiža,” “36. līnija,” “Pavāru māja,” “Entresol,” “Pullman Riga Old Town,” “3 pavāru restorāns,” “Bao Bun,” and “Hooligaan Bubble Tea & Coffee.” Also, thanks to local producers who created the opportunity to treat children with their products and participated in the event: “Rāmkalni,” “Dobeles dzirnavnieks,” “Pophouse.lv,” “Skrīveru mājas saldējums,” and “Valmiermuiža,” which delighted with “Gardu muti” lemonades.
The Garden Festival was made possible with the help of the long-standing partner of the Children’s Hospital Foundation, the retail store chain “Maxima Latvia,” and the Society Integration Foundation from the allocated funds of the Latvian state budget.”
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The latvian version is available here: Dārza svētki Bērnu slimnīcā pulcē vairāk nekā 700 apmeklētāju | BKUS
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Latvian Coverage:
https://www.bkus.lv/lv/jaunums/darza-svetki-bernu-slimnica-pulce-vairak-neka-700-apmekletaju
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