ST. JOSEPH'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

Many people think about hospitals in terms of strictly taking care of sick people. Actually, hospital staff have to care for their patients with a much broader perspective. St. Joseph's does this in two ways: they treat the whole child and they also treat the family. They have implemented a team approach to healing a sick or injured child. This kind of approach to health care is very expensive. Not only do they need funds for treating and healing children, they also need funds to help families stay close to the hospital. St. Joseph provides an amazing service to the children regardless of their families' financial situations. When you meet the children face to face, you can sense the difference this hospital is making in their lives. This is why I was happy to accept their invitation to emcee a recent fundraiser.

The fundraising party was a food faire and wine tasting event that hosted over 40 restaurants, caterers, and hotels from the New Jersey-New York area. Several of the doctors got in on the act by cooking up their own food as well. The staff also served my signature red curried sweet potato soup.

Adding to the festivities was Robbie Furmon's unique sculptures made out of balloons. Robbie is an exceptional creative individual, who at age 8, decided to become a balloon artist. The featured balloon sculpture that Robbie chose to make for the party was a chef and a fruit and vegetable still life. His creations cover the gamut from dragons to animals to people.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KIYOMI