Spirit Halloween donates $111,908 to UC Davis Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department

For 15 years, Spirit Halloween and its Spirit of Children Foundation has raised funds for UC Davis Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department, which supports the emotional needs of pediatric patients and families.

The store's most recent annual gift totals $111,908, with every cent going toward the department. The Spirit Halloween team presented the check this week.

Spirit of Halloween donations have made it possible for child life services to grow and expand into the UC Davis Children's Surgery Center, Radiology and the Pediatric Infusion Center, resulting in more children and families receiving support and guidance from experts who are trained to help them cope with being in the hospital

"We are so grateful for fifteen years of partnership, friendship, and a shared commitment to making the hospital experience less scary for children and families," said Diana Sundberg, manager of the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department. "I've had the privilege of witnessing the direct impact of this partnership. I've seen programs grow, new services launch, and children and families benefit in ways that are sometimes hard to put into words. We cannot thank them enough for being part of our team."

Spirit Halloween's Spirit of Children Foundation has donated more than $1 million since the partnership with UC Davis started.. Early contributions funded the UC Davis Child Life Fellowship Program, providing advanced training and supervision for aspiring certified child life specialists. That investment helped the department grow from seven staff members to 41. Today, funding supports advanced child life staff and the expansion of student training opportunities, as well as continuing to develop patient and family resources.