Blaze Visit Primary Children’s Medical Center
Saturday June 15, 2013
Players, Coaches Spend Time with Local Children
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Blaze frequently strive to make an impact on the local community. One day before battling the Jacksonville Sharks, the team took time away from the field to visit the Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City.
Players and coaches were on hand as the entire team visited rooms and interacted with the children while giving out autographs and posters. While the team went into the event looking to brighten up the day for the kids, it was the players and coaches who found the experience truly rewarding.
“We’re always excited when we have the opportunity to make a difference in our community,” said Head Coach Ron James. “Bringing a smile to a child’s face is a special feeling. It was truly a humbling experience and we feel like we got just as much out of it as the children we visited.”
That sentiment was echoed by 2012 Arena Football League Community MVP David Hyland.
“I went into the visit with intentions of being the one to brighten their day, but it was quite the opposite,” Hyland explained. “Seeing the smiles and the resiliency of the kids put everything into perspective. These kids have an infectious spirit of hope, determination, and positivity that touched a lot of guys on our team. I think it meant a lot to the kids, but I’m not sure if they know how much it meant to us. It made my day.”
ABOUT PRIMARY CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER
Primary Children's Medical Center is the children's hospital for Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, and Montana. The 289-bed hospital is equipped and staffed to care for children with complex illness and injury.
Primary Children's is the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center serving the Intermountain West. It is also one of nine core sites for the Pediatric Heart Network, and the only site located in the western United States.
Primary Children's is managed by Intermountain Healthcare and is the pediatric specialty teaching hospital for the University Of Utah School Of Medicine.
The hospital’s simple philosophy of The Child First and Always® informs every decision made, and how care is initiated for patients and families.
ABOUT THE BLAZE
The Utah Blaze return to Salt Lake City to battle the Jacksonville Sharks at EnergySolutions Arena on Saturday, June 15. Tickets are still available for purchase by calling 1-888-99BLAZE or online at UTBlaze.com. Follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/utahblaze), Twitter (@UTBLAZE) and Instagram (@UtahBlaze), or head to UTBlaze.com for all the latest news!