Ryan Seacrest launches 13th 'Seacrest Studio' at Cohen Children's Hospital on Long Island
NEW HYDE PARK, Long Island -- TV personality and 'American Idol' host Ryan Seacrest arrived on Long Island Tuesday to launch a brand-new studio designed for a special cause.
The state-of-the-art facility at Cohen Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park is the first in the New York City area, but it's part of what's become a nationwide chain of "Seacrest Studios" built by his non-profit foundation.
Tuesday's ribbon cutting event marked the opening of the 13th facility designed to provide the young patients an escape from the big challenges they face on a daily.
"I love what I do for a living, but what I do is a lot of fun, and it's not too serious," said Seacrest, who arrived to a hero's welcome. "This has given me real purpose."
The New Hyde Park studio is the newest of more than a dozen located in children's hospitals across the country - all providing seriously ill children a chance to host their own shows.
Even those too sick to be in the studio get to participate from their rooms.
"I think when you're in one of these facilities, a lot of serious things are happening," said Seacrest. "When a patient and a child and a family can escape what they're going through, it's part of the healing process and it really helps with their mental health as well."
As a video produced by his foundation clearly shows, these studios can change young lives forever.
For more than a dozen years now, Seacrest has enlisted his own family in these efforts.
"It's brought us closer to together," he said. "It makes it all the more significant to work with my mom, dad, and sister on a project like this."
Meredith Seacrest Leach is the Executive Director of her brother's foundation.
"It's not work," she said. "It's just something we can do to give back to our families going through a hard time and use our relationships for good."
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Joining their family are famous friends Taylor Swift, Ludacris, Ed Sheeran, and many more.
"To see someone that you idolize is just so impactful," said Leach.
"And we hope to continue to do that and even when I'm long gone these things will continue to run and do that," Seacrest added.
