Ciara and Amazon join forces to deliver songs and smiles at Seattle Children’s
On any given day, more than 300 kids call Seattle Children’s home where they’re under the care of some of the world’s most dedicated, innovative and compassionate caregivers.
But, it’s not on any given day when the halls of the hospital come alive with dancing, laughing and singing. That’s exactly what happened this week when Ciara joined forces with musician Preston Pohl from The Voice and Amazon for a holiday-themed pop-up concert for patients and their families.
Passionate supporters of Seattle Children’s and the families they serve, Ciara and Russell are regular visitors to the hospital where they give and receive joy, happiness and inspiration throughout the year.
“Visiting Seattle Children’s is a family affair for us,” Ciara said as she greeted families. “And, visiting during the holidays and spending time with everyone here is truly one of my favorite times of the year.”
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Supporting Seattle Children’s is just one of the ways Russell and Ciara strive to connect with and inspire kids to dream big and believe that anything is possible. Through the Foundation, they support a number of organizations dedicated to serving youth including Friends of the Children, Rainier Scholars and Bellevue LifeSpring.
Joined by Seattle Children’s chief executive offer, Dr. Jeff Sperring, Ciara welcomed everyone with open arms before singing holiday classics including Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Silent Night, Jingle Bell Rock and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to dozens of kids who were well enough to attend.
For a second year in a row, Ciara was joined by a team from Amazon who delivered a few smiles of their own as they donated and handed out hundreds of Echo Dot Kids Edition devices and Fire 7 tablets.
“Amazon cares deeply about the communities where our employees live and work and we are thankful for the life-saving work Seattle Children’s does throughout the Seattle community,” said Allison Flicker, Amazon spokeswoman. “Amazon is proud to partner with Ciara and the Why Not You Foundation to deliver smiles to patients and their families this holiday season.”
Following the intimate group concert, Ciara and Preston took their caroling on the road – or down the halls, to be more specific – to visit several kids who weren’t well enough to leave their rooms and join the festivities.
Stopping by each room for a mini-concert, and even rockin’ out in the hallways as kids passed by, they went room to room, singing and dancing their way through the hospital.
When Ciara heard about a patient who shared her passion as a Michael Jackson super-fan (now famous 5-year-old Solomon Haufano), things got interesting as holiday songs gave way to Jackson’s Rock With You followed by Solomon jumping out of bed to show off his impressive Michael Jackson dance moves to Bad. It was a precious highlight from a visit full of highlights.
It was a day of hugs and smiles, songs and dances. At the end of it all, Ciara had a simple and sincere message for the kids: “Russell and I will always be cheering for you. You’re the real superheroes of the world and you’re not in this battle alone.”
