Celebs, pols deliver toys to sick tots
COURIER LIFE, D 40 EC. 28, 2018–JAN. 3, 2019 M B G
BY JULIANNE MCSHANE
They made this hospital a happy
place!
Leaders of Brownsville’s
Brookdale Hospital and a local dogood
group handed out more than
100 toys to tykes at a star-studded
giveaway on Dec. 18.
Notable musicians joined football
stars with the New York Giants
at the sixth-annual “Christmas
in Brooklyn” event, which
brought some much-needed cheer
to youngsters who are currently
being treated at the hospital, according
to an organizer.
“The joy that I see on the kids’
faces is priceless,” said Meda Leacock,
the founder of mentoring organization
I Am Wonda Woman
Foundation , which serves teenage
girls in Brooklyn and Queens.
Kind-hearted locals donated
the dozens of toys, books, and
stuffed animals that Leacock,
pols, and civic gurus — including
Assemblyman Walter Mosley (D–
Bedford-Stuyvesant) and 43rd Assembly
District Leader Geoffrey
Davis — handed out to the kids
during the bash, which also featured
a puppet show, food, and a
dance party, Leacock said.
And professional athletes including
Giants player Deon Grant
and boxer Bruce Carrington, along
with hip-hop stars Lil Cease and
Fetty Luciano, lent their hands to
help pass out the presents to the
eager tots — some of whom got the
chance to see Grant’s Super Bowl
XLVI championship ring up close,
according to Leacock.
The festivities helped even the
shiest pint-sized patients come out
of their shells, making the time it
took to put the event together well
worth it, she said.
“There was a kid who just
didn’t want to speak, didn’t want
to laugh, but when we gave him a
big truck and he saw the box, the
way his face lit up — that’s priceless,”
Leacock said.
PAGE TURNER: (From left) Assembly District Leader Geoffrey
Davis read to youngster Nevaeh Moore. From left, Davis,
New York Giants player Deon Grant, Meda Leacock, and Assemblyman
Walter Mosley were all smiles. Grant also shared
stories with the kids. Photos by Steve Solomonson