Ramona Deitrich of Chicago a Finalist in National Design Contest

The Joy in Childhood Foundation, the charitable foundation supported by Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, today announced that Ramona Deitrich, age 11, of Chicago, IL is a finalist in its national Starlight Design-a-Gown Contest. She is one of four finalists eligible to be named the winner of the Joy in Childhood Foundation’s Starlight Design-a-Gown Contest and have their design featured on 15,000 Joy in Childhood Foundation custom Starlight Gowns which will be distributed to pediatric patients in hospitals nationwide.

Starlight Gowns are high-quality, comfortable and brightly-colored gowns featuring creative designs that help kids feel empowered while undergoing treatment. Created with children in mind, these revolutionary gowns from Starlight Children’s Foundation bring smiles to hospitalized children’s faces by transforming drab, uncomfortable and embarrassing hospital garments into fun and colorful gowns that kids love.

Ramona’s space-themed design features colorful stars, planets and astronauts that she hopes will provide a distraction to children when they are in the hospital. Because she was born with a congenital heart defect and has undergone 14 surgeries, she is not eligible for sports. Instead she has found joy in artistic expression and has become a very talented young artist.

“I hate the regular hospital gowns and always want to wear my own pajamas,” said Ramona. “I draw all the time so once I made up my mind about what I wanted to make, my design took only 15 minutes. I picked an outer space theme so that boys and girls could wear it and I also drew all of the planets smiling so that when you look down, you will see something smiling back up at you!”

The contest, which kicked off earlier this year, invited kids and their families to create and submit designs for the chance to be selected as the next Joy in Childhood Foundation custom Starlight Gown. Now through April 27, the public is invited to cast their vote for the winning design by visiting Starlight.org/DDJoyContest. Starting in August, the Joy in Childhood Foundation will begin distribution the winning design to children’s hospitals across the US.

“The Joy in Childhood Foundation is so excited to announce Ramona Deitrich as one of our Design-a-Gown Contest finalists,” said Karen Raskopf, Co-Chair, the Joy in Childhood Foundation. “Ramona’s design and its inspiration is what this contest is all about – giving kids and their families the opportunity to use their creativity to tell their amazing personal stories and to bring joy to pediatric patients.”

In 2017, the Joy in Childhood Foundation made a three-year, $1.5 million commitment to Starlight Children’s Foundation in support of programs that bring joy and comfort to hospitalized kids, including the Starlight Gown program. To date, the Joy in Childhood Foundation has delivered 10,000 of its custom Starlight Gowns to children’s hospitals nationwide.

To learn more about the Joy in Childhood Foundation, please visit www.dunkinbrands.com/foundation.