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Jack in the Box gives $10,000 donation to ease surgery anxieties

HOUSTON (Jan. 20, 2005) - Jack Box of Jack In the Box fame showed that his heart is as big as his oversize head on a recent visit to Texas Children’s Hospital.

Jack, along with representatives of the Jack in the Box Foundation and Dr Pepper, presented a check for $10,000 to the hospital to be used to purchase handheld video games to calm children before surgery.

According to a recent medical study, playing with a handheld video game just prior to a surgical procedure lowers a young patient’s anxiety more effectively than visits by parents or even medications. By distracting the child from the worry of his or her impending operation, doctors can reduce psychological trauma and the need for calming drugs.

“The use of handheld video games as part of distraction therapy holds a lot of promise for limiting the amount of anxiety a child feels while being hospitalized,” said Dr. Nancy Glass, director of Texas Children’s pediatric pain service.

Jack in the Box employees in each region vote on the local charitable organization that they want The Jack in the Box Foundation to support, and the company’s Houston employees were overwhelmingly in favor of supporting Texas Children’s Hospital.

“As wonderful as this hospital is, medical facilities can be intimidating places, especially for a child facing surgery,” said Jeff Foster, regional vice president of Jack in the Box. “It’s rewarding for us to be able to help these young patients improve their physical and emotional wellness simply by playing a handheld video game."