Local
Norwalk Hospital partners with the Stamford Town Center for children's Looney Tunes-themed play area
By Press Release
Jun 16, 2008 - 11:30:23 AM

The official ribbon-cutting at the Stamford Town Center for the Looney Tunes Children’s Play area presented by Norwalk Hospital will be Saturday, June 28, at 2:00 p.m. This free interactive Norwalk Hospital Looney Tunes play area is on the shopping center’s seventh level. The event will feature an appearance by Warner Brothers popular cartoon character, Bugs Bunny.

The 1,600-square-foot innovative playscape lets kids rub elbows with three-dimensional Looney Tunes favorites, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tasmanian Devil, Sylvester and Tweety, who find themselves at a healthy picnic in a land fit for giants. Kids will climb a 17-foot carrot that’s Bugs Bunny’s lunch, slide down an 8-foot piece of watermelon or crawl through a tunnel under the 5-foot diameter cracker held up by Tweety, while learning about good health and hygiene.

The Play Area opened in the heart of Stamford Town Center’s new 454-seat food court.

“Norwalk Hospital will provide health and wellness activities geared for children in this innovative play area,” said Dr. Patrick Nugent, chairman of the Departments of Obstetrics and Pediatrics at Norwalk Hospital. Hospital physicians and staff members will be on hand during special events to educate visitors about the dynamics of the hospital, the various health services offered, and provide wellness education, health screenings and seminars for families in Fairfield County. “This is a great opportunity for Norwalk Hospital to extend health and wellness services and education into the community,” said Geoffrey Cole, president and CEO, Norwalk Hospital.

“We’re thrilled to partner with such a respected institution,” says Jim Zielinski, Stamford Town Center Marketing & Sponsorship Director. “We are excited about this innovative combination of health, wellness and children in the Stamford Town Center. Norwalk Hospital sponsors our award-winning Kids Club, so we know it’s a perfect fit for us and for the thousands of families we serve throughout Fairfield County.”

Over the past 5 years, the mall has hosted the hospital’s annual Breast Cancer Awareness Fashion Show. “This emotional event, held in October at the mall, not only educates the public about breast cancer, but it’s also a coming out celebration for men and women who have survived breast cancer through the expert care at the Smilow Family Breast Health Center at Norwalk Hospital”, according to Zielinski.

The Looney Tunes concept evolved from a national alliance between Taubman Centers Inc. (NYSE: TCO), the owner of Stamford Town Center, and Warner Bros. Consumer Products. The first such playscape opened at Taubman’s Northlake Mall in Charlotte, N.C., in September 2005. Each one is custom designed to capture the passions of the community.

“This play area and the food court add a terrific dynamic to our mall,” Zielinski adds. “It’s an ideal place to gather, have fun, get to know your neighbors, and learn about family healthcare from the experts at Norwalk Hospital.”

Norwalk Hospital provides exceptional maternity and pediatric services. The obstetricians and pediatricians are supported by highly skilled nurses, certified nurse midwives, physician assistants, neonatologists and Yale perinatologists to help manage high-risk pregnancies. The hospital’s Jeffrey Peter Bauer Newborn Intensive Care Unit has become the only NICU in the state to be staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with board-certified neonatologists.

The hospital also offers comprehensive childbirth education and support programs. The Women’s Health Resource Center, located at the hospital, provides information on women’s health and family health topics. The Resource Center offers Internet access and multimedia educational material, as well as CD-ROMS, videotapes, books and pamphlets. Individuals may either review the information within the center or the materials are available for lending, allowing women to share information at home.

Stamford Town Center, with Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's and over 130 specialty stores and restaurants, is located at Exit 8 off I-95, at the intersection of Tresser and Greyrock in the heart of Stamford Downtown. Shopping hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11:00 a. m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Sit-down restaurants located in the new Plaza wing of the mall have extended operating hours. Preview the stores, the styles, the sales at www.shopstamfordtowncenter.com.

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