Cases Offer Drop Protection and Security So Kids Can Enjoy the Tablets While in Treatment or Recovering From Procedures
Kensington®, a worldwide leader of desktop computing and mobility solutions for IT, business and home office professionals and The Professional’s Choice for nearly 35 years, today announced that Kensington SafeGrip Rugged iPad Cases were selected by East Tennessee Children’s Hospital to protect iPads that were donated for children’s use during hospital stays through ‘Andy’s iPads’ program. The program is based on donations of iPads and accessories from parents and families at Webb Upper School for the purpose of helping kids stay comfortable and engaged when sick or recovering from illnesses or medical procedures. Andy’s iPads was initiated by Julieanne Foy, technology coordinator of Webb Upper School in Knoxville, Tenn.
“I noticed that during my visit to one of the school’s students, Andy — who was also an oncology patient at Children’s Hospital — found great joy and comfort from using an iPad to Skype with friends and play games using apps during his hospital stay,” said Foy. “So we asked families at Webb School if they would be willing to donate their iPads to Children’s Hospital to help other kids like Andy keep their minds off of their illnesses and pending procedures.”
As a result of Foy’s request, Andy’s friends at the school set out to honor their classmate by donating 50 iPads, 50 cases, multiple iPad apps and games towards the mission of comforting kids at the hospital. The ‘Andy’s iPads’ program will continue to be managed by Webb students, including loading apps and games at no cost. The students are supporting continuation of the program through an annual fundraising event.
The hospital uses Kensington SafeGrip Rugged iPad Cases to keep the donated iPads clean and safely locked, with the option to tether the case to a child’s bed. The thick, sturdy handle — which is sized for smaller hands — doubles as a two-position stand for greater flexibility of use.
“We’re thrilled to contribute to this essential program by offering the tough padded protection of SafeGrip Rugged iPad Cases, which deliver strong tablet protection that’s designed with children’s iPad usage habits in mind,” said Gwen Hsu, senior director of Global Product Managment, Kensington. “SafeGrip is the perfect solution to protect the donated tablets in the ‘Andy’s iPads’ program against damage due to accidental drops and bumps while guarding the screen from scratches and smudges.”
Cheryl Allmon, director of Volunteer Services and Programs at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, said the program is having an incredible impact on the lives of patients at the facility. “The iPads are being used in many ways that we didn’t anticipate when the program first started,” said Allmon. “We want to keep growing the program by adding more iPads and apps for the patients to use.”
She added that Kensington’s secure cases and locking devices are a key component to keeping the program running smoothly. “SafeGrip protects the iPads, allowing smaller patients to handle them and keeping them from breaking if a patient accidently drops them,” said Allmon.
Certified by the state of Tennessee as the only Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center in East Tennessee, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville is a 152-bed, not-for-profit, private, independent pediatric medical center. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission and offers more pediatric subspecialties than any other hospital in Knoxville and the greater East Tennessee region.
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About Kensington
Kensington is a leading provider of desktop and mobile device accessories, trusted by IT, educators, business and home office professionals around the world for more than 35 years. Kensington products empower people to dynamically interact with content, creating a better working experience for productive performance. In both office and mobile environments, Kensington’s extensive portfolio of award-winning products provides trusted security, desktop productivity innovations, and ergonomic well-being. Our core competencies in engineering, industrial design, product quality and responsive customer support make Kensington The Professionals’ Choice™.
Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Kensington operates as the technology division of ACCO Brands (NYSE: ACCO), one of the world’s largest designers, marketers and manufacturers of branded business, academic and consumer products, sold in more than 100 countries across the globe.
Kensington is the inventor and worldwide leader in laptop security locks, the acknowledged leader of Trackball innovation and offers a broad range of premium-branded desktop productivity solutions.