Where Laughter is the Best Medicine!

Giggles Children’s Theater has been a haven of healing arts and laughter for

critically- and chronically-ill children and their families since opening in 2005.

Our mission is to help improve the quality of children’s lives as they meet the

challenges of illness and treatment. While hospitalized children are at their

lowest emotional point – undergoing painful procedures, separated from family

members and friends, and in fear - Giggles provides emotionally beneficial live

artistic, educational and cultural programs that are designed to reduce anxiety

by inducing laughter and engaging young minds.

“Often the hospital can be a scary place for children. However, the opportunity to visit Giggles Children’s Theater can help these children cope with the hospital environment

as well as provide a fun activity for them to take part in.” — Tiffany Schevchik, Child Life Coordinator, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital

What happens at the theater? Each year Giggles presents more than 90 live shows performed by theater companies, singers, dancers, clowns, choruses, magicians and musicians. We also have literacy- focused readings by authors as well as story time in both English and Spanish. Giggles also broadcasts educational “field trips” where we virtually transport patients on live interactive journeys to places like the International Space Station, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef HQ Aquarium, Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park, Africa’s O’iada Cultural Center, the Smithsonian Institute and the Manhattan School of Music.

For pediatric patients who are too ill, contagious or vulnerable to infection to come to the theater, live shows and reruns of past shows are broadcast into their rooms over St. Joseph’s Healthcare System’s closed circuit television on Giggles Channel 55.

A second Giggles Children’s Theater was

formed at The Children’s Inn on the campus

of The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in

Bethesda, MD in 2007.

Live Shows

Community Outreach

Virtual Field Trips“The positive benefits of a Giggles performance to pediatric patients are

profound, immediate and last long after the show is over.”

— Dr. Michael Lamacchia, Chairman, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital

Every year Giggles entertains more than 3,000 sick children on-site and more than 300 children from the

local community. Quality live performances are made possible by donations to the theater. Talented artists

are contracted to perform shows viewed in both the theater at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital as well as

throughout St. Joseph’s Healthcare System on Giggles TV Channel 55. Each show is produced, taped, edited

and replayed as part of the Giggles TV Channel 55 line-up of weekly rebroadcasts. Please consider making a

tax-deductible donation to sponsor a live performance. Your support will enable us to entertain pediatric

patients who could use a moment or two to forget their troubles. For more information on sponsoring a

performance or if you are interested in performing at the theater visit: mmissions.org or call (973) 754-4960.

Giggles Children’s Theater is a program of Medical Missions for Children, a Paterson, NJ based 501(c)3 non-profit that has been focused on improving the quality of medical treatment and outcomes provided to critically-ill children throughout the world since 1999. Today, not only does Medical Missions for Children help diagnose and treat sick children in underserved hospitals globally, we help educate medical professionals, entertain sick children, help young children understand their affliction and help other charitable organizations diversify.

Medical Missions for Children35 Getty Avenue, Building 400Paterson, NJ 07503mmissions.org | email: info@mmissions.orgphone: (973) 754-4960 | fax: (973) 754-4971

MEDICAL MISSIONS

FORCHILDREN

Where is the Theater?Giggles Children’s Theater is located @ St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital

2nd floor of the Seton Building • 703 Main Street • Paterson, NJ 07503

mmissions.org • email: giggles@mmissions.org • (973) 754-4960