For Immediate Release: September 6, 2006

Contact: Brian Reardon St. John's Children's Hospital 217-544-6464 ext. 44306 brian.reardon@st-johns.org Nancy Zimmers SIU School of Medicine 217-545-3854 nzimmers@siumed.edu

Area students to help pick mascot for Children’s Hospital

SPRINGFIELD – As the mid-term elections approach, area students from kindergarten through fifth grade are getting the chance to nominate and elect a mascot for St. John’s Children’s Hospital.  The winning mascot will be announced on Election Day, November 7. 

The goal of the mascot election is to give children from Springfield a voice in the type of friendly animal or character that will represent St. John’s Children’s Hospital.  As part of the nomination process, students will be asked to identify healthy messages that the mascot will advocate.

“Electing a mascot is a great way to raise awareness in children about the importance of eating right, exercising and being safe.  Our hope is that students will use their creativity and enthusiasm to help us come up with a mascot that makes health care more approachable and less intimidating,” said Dr. Mark Puczynski, Medical Director for St. John’s Children’s Hospital and chair of pediatrics at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

The mascot election process will occur in three phases over the next eight weeks.  During the first two weeks (September 6 -22), K-5 students will be asked to nominate an animal or create a character, give it a name and describe what type of health message it should teach.  Nomination forms - available online at www.sjchildrens.org and through participating elementary schools - should be filled out and submitted to St. John’s by September 22. 

The entries will be considered by a committee from St. John’s Children’s Hospital.  Two candidates will then be selected from the nomination applications.  The classrooms of the two students whose mascot idea is adopted by the committee will receive a $250 Visa gift card that their teacher can use for supplies, decorations, etc.

The two winning candidates will be announced in late September.  During the month of October, a campaign will be conducted for the position.  Children and families can order yard signs, bumper stickers and buttons for their favorite candidate. 

From October 28 – November 5, area children can vote online (www.sjchildrens.org) or in person at the Henson Robinson Zoo during Zoolie Ghoulie on October 28 – 29, and Barnes and Noble on November 4 – 5.   Voting booths will be provided by the Sangamon County Clerk’s Office.  The winning mascot will be announced on November 7.

“We hope this mascot selection process will provide kids with a fun and positive introduction to the election process.  We know that healthy minds are just as important as healthy bodies.  Having students thinking creatively about why an animal or character would make a good mascot is great exercise for the brain,” added Peggy Curtin, Administrator, St. John’s Children’s Hospital.

St. John's Children’s Hospital combines the faculty resources of SIU School of Medicine with the pediatric facilities and services of St. John’s Hospital.  The mascot election occurs one year after St. John’s Children’s Hospital was recognized by the National Association for Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI).  The Children’s Hospital Web site is www.sjchildrens.org.