Written by: Dave Room, Green For All Fellow

For the past two years, I have been working on project that evolved out of the Green For All Fellowship. Through my Green For All term of service I gained insight as to how to communicate the importance of community stories, how to develop them, and how to teach community storytelling to youth and climate justice activists. And with this experience I founded Pacha’s Pajamas, the first and only full-length Children’s Pop Musical. Each song has an eco-message for kids and a call to action. 

After founding Pacha’s Pajamas, I participated in Green For All’s Coaching Program where I was matched with a Certified Business Coach to focus on securing publishing, distribution and investment deals. Ultimately, the Program will help me scale our work to an even wider audience.

On September 25, 2012, we released an album featuring artists like Yasiin Bey (a.k.a. Mos Def), Cheech Marin, the Agape Youth Choir, Talib Kweli, Genevieve Goings, Majora Carter, Danny Pardo and Lyrics Born, A-Natural, as well as a number of young actors and musicians from across North America including Ta’kaiya Blaney, Lil JaXe, Ashlie Cortez, Milo McFly, Felicity and MC Fireworks.

When we released the album, we had no marketing budget. Despite all the hype about social media, we found it challenging to get people’s attention. We were getting great response from parents and kids for the album, but without significant marketing and advertising, we found ourselves at a huge disadvantage.

As we contemplated how we could get our album out during the last several weeks of the 2012 holiday season, we got an email from Highland Hospital that changed everything. Highland had received a lot of donated books and gifts, but their staff said they could really use albums and live performances, and that the pediatricians were excited about Pacha’s Pajamas.

Less than two months later, we had a major sponsorship through two leading holistic addiction treatment centers, A Forever Recovery and Best Drug Rehabilitation, to launch a our new Imagination Heals program, which brings transformative entertainment to hospitalized children.

A Forever Recovery and its CEO are bringing together entertainment, sports, and music celebrities to launch Imagination Heals on February 22, 2013 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.

“Shining a light on the efforts of ‘Imagination Heals’ to bring hope and joy to the lives of ill and challenged children throughout the U.S. is the motivation behind the big evening at the Beverly Hilton,” says Per Wickstrom, chief executive officer of A Forever Recovery, a leading holistic addiction treatment program which is sponsoring the event. “There is nothing in life like creating a positive effect on someone, so they can make a change for the better, and become a contributing member of society."

We will be presenting the Imagination Heals Pioneer Award to Discovery Arts, an in-hospital program that brings The Arts to children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases that was founded by film composer Don Harper and choreographer Marilyn Clements 20 years ago. Also being honored with the Imagination Heals Butterfly Award is rock soul legend Lester Chambers, due to his outstanding participation in and commitment to Pacha’s Pajamas and Imagination Heals.

The event features a special performance of Pacha’s Pajamas and a book reading by Kendall Schmidt of the Nickelodeon TV show Big Time Rush. Others confirmed to attend include Actor/NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown, Gold Medalist and Actor Cathy Rigby, an indigenous ceremonial offering with the renowned 13 Indigenous Grandmother, Mona Polacca, and special surprise celebrity guests! In addition, the renowned Actor/Rapper, Mos Def, will share a special video presentation. The Honorary Event Chairs include Brown, Multi-platinum GRAMMY-nominated singer/actress Deborah Cox and Lascelles Stephens, Emmy-winning TV personality/author Leeza Gibbons and Steven Fenton, actor Hill Harper, actor/rapper Mos Def, Artist/Piano Teacher to the Stars Margie Balter, actor Stu Charno, President of the Detroit Lions Alumni Association Ron Rice, Retired NFL Wide Receiver Herman Moore, and Dr. Howard Rosen. The evening will be hosted by singer/actress Genevieve Goings, star of Disney Jr.'s Choo Choo Soul. 

Bringing Hope and Joy to Hospitalized Children 

At a time of crisis for children in this country, with senseless violence, extreme weather events, childhood obesity, and early onset of debilitating diseases such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease and cancer, Imagination Heals provides stories of hope and inspiration to children with challenging health circumstances.

The founding sponsors of Imagination Heals, A Forever Recovery and Best Drug Rehabilitation, are donating a total of 10,000 copies of Pacha’s Pajamas albums and books to children’s hospitals across North America including Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Houston, Oakland, and a city to be named later in Florida. The program will also include celebrity visits to hospitals.

Hospitals can get more information about the program can request sample materials at http://imaginationheals.us or contact [email protected].