NORRISTOWN, Pa., July 23 /EMWNews/ -- The Children's

Hospital of Philadelphia is delighted to announce a generous $15 million

gift that will enable the opening of a new pediatric care center in

Norristown, Pennsylvania. This gift, made possible by Athena and Nicholas

Karabots of Fort Washington, Pa, is one of the largest in the history of

Children's Hospital and will give Norristown families and families in the

nearby communities convenient access to world-class pediatric healthcare.

The extraordinary contribution was inspired by the couple's deep desire to

help provide better access to high quality medical resources to the needy

children in these communities.



    "I have always felt strongly that all children, especially those living

under difficult circumstances, deserve the opportunity to live a healthy

and productive life," said Nicholas Karabots. "To do this, they need to

have access to good healthcare services. My wife and I are delighted to be

able to support the creation of this facility that will help so many in

need. The Norristown area is revitalizing and will benefit enormously with

the opening of the center."



    "We are delighted and most grateful to the Karabots family for this

generous donation. The Karabots Pediatric Care Center will allow Children's

Hospital to make a tremendous difference in the Norristown and other needy

Montgomery County communities," said Steven M. Altschuler, MD, president

and chief executive officer, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "The

continued growth of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia healthcare

network, which now spans three states, has been in response to increasing

need and demand for the services we provide to children and families. This

expansion is part of our ongoing quest to provide excellent healthcare

services to sick children, especially in areas that are not currently

served."



    While plans are still in the very early stages, The Karabots Pediatric

Care Center will be located in the heart of downtown Norristown. Located

conveniently near public transportation, it will contain state of the art

clinical areas where children can receive primary pediatric care. The

center will also provide families access to Children's Hospital's community

programs such as Reach out and Read and the Homeless Health Initiative as

well as drug and substance abuse education, school readiness programs and

child abuse and neglect prevention.



    A former shoe-shine boy from the South Bronx in New York City, Nicholas

Karabots rose to prominence in the printing and publishing business. Today,

he is Chairman of the Spartan Organization, Inc. and its family of

companies, which includes Kappa Publishing Group, Inc., the largest

publisher of puzzle magazines in the nation. Together with his wife and

children, the Karabots family is well-known for their philanthropy, having

previously made major contributions to create the Karabots Center for MRI

Diagnostics at Montgomery Hospital given that hospital's efforts within

Norristown and have, in addition, given to other causes elsewhere that

focus on youth and the inner cities. The Karabots' foundation was, as well,

a major contributor to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, an institution that

also concentrates on its youth programs, in that museum's efforts to retain

the Gross Clinic painting in Philadelphia.

    About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: The Children's Hospital

of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric

hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional

patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare

professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's

Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children

worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the

country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In

addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have

brought the 430-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children

and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.



    Contact:



    Ashley Moore



    Phone: (267) 426-6071



    [email protected]