For immediate release
Chicago, IL - April 21, 2016
On Monday, May 16, the popular PBS KIDS character NATURE CAT, star of a new animated series on WTTW11, will pay a special visit to kids and families at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. NATURE CAT will engage with kids in the Outpatient and the Family Life Centers (also via closed-circuit television for those children confined to hospital rooms), leading fun do-it-yourself activities and contributing unique prizes for Lurie’s popular in-house game show, Body Parts Bingo, among other surprises. WTTW has teamed up with PBS KIDS on the event, in tandem with the PBS Annual Meeting, which will take place May 16-18 in Chicago.
NATURE CAT, a new animated series that debuted on WTTW last fall, is designed to encourage children to explore and develop connections with the natural world, Each episode of the multi-platform series encourages kids ages 3-8 to join the intrepid Nature Cat and his animal friends as they embark on action-packed adventures that involve important discoveries about the world outside their own back doors. NATURE CAT airs several times daily as part of the WTTW Kids daytime lineup.
NATURE CAT is co-created by brothers David Rudman (SESAME STREET, The Muppets) and Adam Rudman (Tom & Jerry, SESAME STREET, CYBERCHASE), and is a co-production of Spiffy Pictures and WTTW Chicago. The series is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Van Eekeren Family, founders of Land O'Frost.
“WTTW is delighted to welcome PBS to Chicago for this year’s Annual Meeting, and to partner with PBS KIDS and Lurie Children’s Hospital to bring our homegrown Nature Cat character to local kids and families coping with serious illnesses,” said Dan Schmidt, President and CEO of WTTW.
“WTTW is doing exceptional work in the local community here in Chicago with great partners like the Lurie Children’s Hospital,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Children’s Media and Education, PBS. “We know the kids and their families will love interacting with Nature Cat, a character that inspires kids’ natural curiosity about the world around us.”
“Visits from special guests such as Nature Cat help to fulfill a vital part of our mission here at Lurie Children’s,” said Susan Ruohonen, Director of Children’s Services. “We believe that educational playtime for our young patients is an essential part of their treatment as they continue to grow and develop, and provides a much-needed distraction to help the kids feel like kids again.”
“As a company with a long-standing commitment to families, Land O’Frost is proud to support this multi-platform series that is engaging children across the country in new and exciting ways,” said Donna Van Eekeren, Executive Chairman of Land O’Frost.
About WTTW Chicago
WTTW Chicago is a premier producer and presenter of original, high-quality content for both public and commercial distribution. For 60 years, WTTW has developed and introduced a wide array of engaging cross-platform content — reflecting the world’s rich and diverse arts and entertainment scene, as well as education, politics, public affairs, science, business, and religion — to a national audience. For more information, visit wttw.com/national and follow WTTW on Twitter and Facebook.
About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, digital platforms and community-based programs. Kidscreen- and Webby-award winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including digital games and streaming video. PBS KIDS also offers mobile apps to help support young children’s learning. The PBS KIDS Video App is available on a variety of mobile devices and on platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Xbox One and Chromecast. For more information on specific PBS KIDS content supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit pbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.
About Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is ranked as one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals in the U.S. News & World Report 2015-2016 Honor Roll rankings. Lurie Children’s provides superior pediatric care in a state-of-the-art hospital that offers the latest benefits and innovations in medical technology, research, and family-friendly design. Located in downtown Chicago on the campus of its academic partner, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Lurie Children’s relies on philanthropic support to care for more than 173,000 children each year. Learn more at luriechildrens.org, or follow Lurie Children’s on Twitter and Facebook.
About Land O’Frost
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Munster, Indiana, Land O'Frost is a leading manufacturer of pre-sliced, pre-packaged lunchmeats and specialty hot dogs and sausages. The company is the largest family-owned brand of packaged deli meat in the U.S., and operates three manufacturing facilities in Lansing, Ill., Madisonville, Ky. and Searcy, Ark. For more information, please visit landofrost.com.
