“American Idol” icon and Atlanta native Ryan Seacrest recently made a surprise visit to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Egleston hospital, and there was “no shortage of smiles.”
“It’s always a pleasure to visit my hometown and return to where the magic at Seacrest Studios all began 14 years ago,” Seacrest, founder and chairman of Ryan Seacrest Foundation, told Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
“I’m so proud to see the smiles on the kids’ faces as a result of all of the great work that the staff and interns are doing. Coming back to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta always makes me feel like I’m back at home and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the future.”
The Ryan Seacrest Foundation is on a mission to inspire joy in today’s youth. The nonprofit builds broadcast media centers, known as Seacrest Studios, in pediatric hospitals so that patients can explore their creativity and get a taste of the magic of radio and television production.
“We believe access to multimedia experiences will bring patients exciting and stimulating adventures to encourage optimistic thoughts during treatment,” according to the organization’s website. “It is also important to us to reach out to the community and involve students from local schools by providing them with the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in broadcasting, programming and operating a multimedia center.”
During his stay at the Egleston hospital’s Seacrest Studio, the very first of its kind, patients interviewed, played games and snapped photos with the Idol host. Seacrest “flipped his typical script” and interviewed some of the patients so he could learn about each of them.
Ryan Seacrest Foundation program manager Wendy Threatt announced on Tuesday that Atlanta will receive a new Seacrest Studio this fall at the Arthur M. Blank Hospital, which is expected to open in fall 2024.
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