Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital raises money for toy monkeys this holiday

CLEVELAND - Monkeys will be taking over Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital this holiday season, bringing a little cheer to sick children.

University Hospitals’ employee Mark Madere started a program to give each child who will be staying at the hospital on Christmas a free toy monkey.

“My first visit to Rainbow was in the early eighties when I visited a teenager who had Cystic Fibrosis,” Madere said, in a news release on Monday. “Her name was Betsy Baker and she was the daughter of the minister who presided over my wedding. Betsy was a dear friend of my wife and a cherished bridesmaid on our special day.” Betsy died of CF a few years later.

But Madere needs a little help to reach his goal of 200 monkeys. If you would like to donate, check out mochamonkey.net .

“The people of northeast Ohio have always stepped up in time of need. Now I’m asking them to find it in their hearts to give a monkey to a child at Rainbow this Christmas,” Madere said.