Once again, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is gearing up to distribute thousands of valentine’s day cards to our young patients who won’t be able to experience the joy of Valentine’s Day at home or at school because they are in the hospital.

Children’s Hospital needs your help. This week, you can visit CHLA.org/Valentine and send a Valentine which the hospital will then distribute to children on Feb. 13. It’s fun, fast and easy. Last year, the hospital received more than 30,000 messages from 100 countries. Kids received a special gift bag filled with cards and parents enjoyed them too!

* Anyone can send a message to our kids.  We just ask them to choose one of three card designs and provide their first name, last name, email address and a message.

* They can use the pre-populated message “Wishing you a very Happy Valentine’s Day!” or write in their own message.  You’ll also find some ideas at CHLA.org/Valentine, including jokes like this one that are extra fun to receive:

Knock knock!

Who’s there?

Sherwood.

Sherwood who?

Sherwood like to be your valentine!

“One of the most important responsibilities we have is to bring a sense of normalcy to our patients,” said Wendi Kellaris, manager of the Volunteer Services Program, which assists in the distribution of the Valentine’s cards to CHLA’s young patients.

“There are so many things that a child in the hospital misses. When special events like Valentine’s Day come around and our patients see that they are getting valentine’s, just like their friends, they are absolutely thrilled. The valentines themselves are a wonderful surprise but then to learn that people outside these walls sent them because they care about them. That is sometimes the best surprise of all.”