The winning team on NBC’s hit show The Apprentice turned up at the doors of The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) one morning laden with gifts when multimillionaire Donald Trump offered them the most priceless reward of the season: the gift of giving back.
It was a concept dear to Montefiore, which has a long history of reaching out to the community. Founded in 1884 to serve the sick and disabled from impoverished sectors of society, Montefiore Medical Center was among the first hospitals to create departments of social services, home health care, and social medicine.
The Excel Corporation team on The Apprentice had bested their competitors, Capital Edge, in the task to introduce retirees to the wonders of modern technology.
“This task was all about giving back to the community,” Mr. Trump said in the segment televised Thursday, Oct. 6.
For their reward, he said, they would continue to do just that: by giving, from Best Buy, “thousands and thousands of dollars worth of free, beautiful electronic equipment” to the children at Montefiore.
CHAM is the only New York hospital ever featured on the popular show.
Robert Conaty, vice president of operations, greeted the team in the CHAM lobby, as the fellows wheeled in cart after cart overflowing with Xboxes, electronic games, LeapFrog educational toys, and DVD players.
Seconds later, the children were reveling in the digital wonderland, high-fiving the guys, pulling apart the wrappings, and getting down to some serious playing.
Mark, one of the team members, said, “For that particular moment, it wasn’t about their illness, it was about all those toys we brought and the smiles we put on their faces.
“We were like Santa Claus.”
The team also visited kids who were too sick to leave their rooms, asking one teen what he’d do with a million bucks (the answer: buy a Lamborghini), and passing out gifts with a personal touch.
“Let’s see if we can get you rockin’ and rollin’,” said Josh as he placed a set of headphones on one patient in pink pajamas. He watched the little girl’s face as a grin spread from one ear to the other.
“It brings the world into reality for you,” Josh said of his experience at Montefiore. “Not just giving gifts to children, but children who are sick or disabled. It put everything into perspective.”
© 2009 Montefiore Medical Center