'It takes mind off of the treatment': Ryan Seacrest opens children’s hospital studio in Salt Lake City
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH: Ryan Seacrest has added yet another primary children’s hospital to his Seacrest Studios initiative.
The TV and radio host was present at the grand opening of Seacrest Studios at Primary Children’s Hospital on December 5 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Ryan Seacrest Foundation started its first Studio in 2010
The nonprofit Ryan Seacrest Foundation is run by his sister Meredith Seacrest Leach as executive director and chief operating officer. He started with the first studio inside Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in 2010, as per Hollywood Reporter.
“Parents tell us, ‘My daughter has cancer; there’s not much she looks forward to when she’s in the hospital, but every day at 2 o’clock when they’re going to play bingo in the studio, she can’t wait to go do it, and it takes her mind off of the treatment she’s getting,’” said Seacrest.
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He continued, “Those are the tangible things that we’re seeing happen with the studios around the country. And I think that’s why this concept proved itself out in Atlanta and then went to Philadelphia and Boston and all around the country.”
Singer Andy Grammer performed at the grand opening with the presence of actors Miles Teller and Zachary Levi.
“Now that we’ve got this scale of 14 studios across the country, my new partner, Sony, which produces Wheel of Fortune, is going to become a partner in helping with special content for the studios across the country,” Seacrest explained.
Ryan Seacrest on his upcoming projects
Seacrest will be the new host of the ABC game show in September 2024, and will also be taking care of the responsibility of ‘American Idol’ for its seventh season on February 18, 2024.
“We almost picture it sort of with a network mentality that at certain hours and certain evenings and times during the week, there’ll be a network program where all of the studios can connect and communicate with each other and feel like they’re a part of experiencing the same thing," he said.
Meredith reflected on the Foundation's 13-year investment has taken shape. “It’s definitely evolved. As you know, technology is ever-changing, and we learned a lot about the space that’s needed with getting wheelchairs through and their equipment, having enough space for camera, to the greenscreen, all sorts of things when it comes to storage and our interns, where are they putting their backpacks? There’s so much we’ve learned from the first one we built, and now they are state-of-the-art facilities," Meredith explained.
