ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 27, 2009 – Pediatric patients at Florida Hospital for Children became superheroes for a day, as they received special red capes from Superman himself, Dwight Howard, during an event to announce a significant contribution the athlete is making to benefit the pediatric unit.

Through his numerous visits to Florida Hospital for Children to lift the spirits of hospitalized children, Dwight Howard decided he wanted to make an impact in an even bigger way. It is his vision to create a state-of-the-art room designed especially for teenagers, including the latest in video-gaming technology, movies, board games, educational outlets and much more. He is collaborating with Florida Hospital for Children and the Central Florida community to bring these advancements to the children’s hospital through a new program he founded, Dwight Howard’s Big Change for Kids. He is committed to helping this program “take off,” and agreed to fund the initial $30,000 of the project.

“My inspiration to partner with Florida Hospital for Children originated during a holiday visit to the pediatric unit last year, where some of the Magic players spent time with the children to brighten their days,” Dwight Howard said. “I bonded with one child in particular, and at that point I knew I wanted to make a difference at this hospital for these kids. I hope this room can be an outlet where teens can forget about being in the hospital and just enjoy doing the things kids their age do.”

Dwight Howard is also engaging local organizations including businesses, schools and religious institutions to help this program “soar to new heights.” In addition, Bank of America has committed as a financial partner and participant in this program. Special jugs will be placed in organizations from Dec. 1, 2009 to Feb. 1, 2010 to collect change for Dwight Howard’s Big Change for Kids, and the organization to raise the most will win their very own “party” with Dwight in the new Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children lobby. Jug placement and competition details will be explained upon sign up. For more information or to register an organization, call 407-303-9590 or visit www.floridahospitalfoundation.org.

In addition to collecting change at local organizations, funds for this project will also be raised via a text messaging gift program called “Text to Give.” Using this tool, people can text “FHKIDS” to 90999 on their mobile phones to donate $5 to the cause.

“It is a privilege to celebrate such an exciting collaboration,” said Des Cummings, president of the Florida Hospital Foundation. “It is because of individuals like Dwight Howard that Florida Hospital is able to grow and thrive, and we are ever so grateful for his interest in creating a place where pediatric patients can escape their ailments to enjoy games and activities from a world-famous athlete.”

Florida Hospital for Children is a 155-specialty-bed, full-service facility served by nearly 60 pediatric specialists and a highly trained pediatric team of more than 600 employees. The dedicated children’s hospital delivers a complete range of pediatric health services to younger patients, who benefit from the expertise of specialized departments throughout Florida Hospital. When construction is complete in 2010, Florida Hospital for Children will have 200 beds; private, family-centered pediatric rooms; an Advanced Center for Pediatric Surgery; destination pediatric programs including advanced surgery, oncology, neurosurgery, cardiology, transplant services, and full-service pediatrics; and an innovative health and obesity platform.

For more information, contact Florida Hospital Media Relations at 407-303-8217.