Tickets on sale now for sneak-peek on Dec. 8
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Oct. 23, 2019) – Pediatric hospice patients in Michigan will benefit from A-list Hollywood heroes when Hospice of Michigan hosts an exclusive screening of Jumanji: The Next Level at Celebration! Cinema North in Grand Rapids, in support of Hospice of Michigan’s Jo Elyn Nyman Anchors Programs for Children.
Tickets for the cinematic sneak-peek on Sunday, Dec. 8 are on sale now for $50 and are available at jumanji4anchors.com. Admission for the 2:30 p.m. event includes one ticket to the film, along with a soft drink and popcorn, as well as a post-movie afterglow reception at 5:30 p.m. Celebration! Cinema North is located at 2121 Celebration Dr. NE in Grand Rapids.
Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Jo Elyn Nyman Anchors Programs for Children, the only statewide pediatric hospice program and supportive care service in the country. Anchors Programs for Children serves families with specially trained staff that provide medical, social, spiritual and emotional support to help navigate complex medical situations. Offering a full continuum of pediatric services to support families with children facing life-limiting illness, the Anchors program serves 100 pediatric children annually.
The Grand Rapids screening is made possible through the longtime friendship Hospice of Michigan enjoys with Jumanji’s world-renowned children’s author and illustrator Chris Van Allsburg. Along with his wife, Lisa, both Michigan natives, the Van Allsburgs have long supported pediatric care initiatives such as the Jo Elyn Nyman Anchors Programs for Children. The exclusive Grand Rapids screening of Jumanji: The Next Level is one of four Hospice of Michigan is hosting around the state the week of Dec. 8 before the nationwide release. Screening events are also scheduled for Alpena, Royal Oak and Traverse City.
“Pediatric hospice care is very expensive to deliver, and Hospice of Michigan does not want families to feel the burden of those expenses when they are going through such a difficult time in their lives,” said Bob Cahill, Hospice of Michigan president and CEO. “Hospice of Michigan relies on our supporters throughout the year to enable us to provide specialized treatments, such as pediatric hospice care. We are grateful Chris and Lisa Van Allsburg have been such tremendous supporters of our not-for-profit over the years, especially to the Anchors Programs for Children. Their generosity has helped us increase Anchors’ visibility and support across the state so we can continue to offer vital care to children and families every day.”
For more than a decade, the Van Allsburgs have partnered with Hospice of Michigan in hosting exclusive fundraising screenings in their home state of the film versions of Chris’ classic children’s books, including Zathura, The Polar Express and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Past events have generated more than $1.7 million for Anchors Programs for Children.
Supporting sponsors of the Grand Rapids fundraiser include James and Shirley Balk, Karl and Patti Betz, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Lacks Enterprises, Inc., Aquinas College, RCO Engineering, Thomas P. Sarb and Ruth Ann Brevitz and Warner Norcross + Judd. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Barbara Anderson at 616.356.5266 or banderso@HOM.org. You can also find more information here.
About Jo Elyn Nyman Anchors Programs for Children
With a focus on maximizing the quality of life for every child in its care, Jo Elyn Nyman Anchors Programs for Children is privileged to offer a wide range of pediatric services to families throughout Michigan. The Anchors Programs for Children, funded through a generous gift from the Samuel & Jean Frankel Foundation, includes Compass Support Services, The James B. Fahner MD Pediatric Hospice Program and The Anchors Perinatal Program. For more, visit http://anchors4children.org/.
Jumanji Film Preview
Adapted from the 1981 children’s book written and illustrated by Caldecott author Chris Van Allsburg, Jumanji: The Next Level is directed by Michigan native Jake Kasdan and stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas and Karen Gillan.
In Jumanji: The Next Level, the gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, they discover that nothing is as they expect. The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored, from the arid deserts to the snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game.