Stern Pinball donates game to local children's hospital

Stern Pinball Inc., the world's oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball games, announced its plans to team up with Project Pinball Charity to dedicate a new Stern Pinball Iron Man machine at Advocate Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn today.

The machine is being donated in honor of Zach Dacy, a local youth who has beat cancer after a long battle.

"There are thousands of children undergoing intensive medical treatment in children's hospitals across the country," said Daniel Spolar, Founder and Senior Director of Project Pinball Charity. "We want to help ease their pain and speed their recovery by giving them a reason to get out of bed, to socialize and have to fun by playing an iconic American pastime ... pinball."

Stern Pinball has joined Project Pinball Charity, a charity dedicated to providing recreational relief to patients and their families, as well as the physicians and nurses who care for them, for the Advocate Children's Hospital pinball machine dedication. The Iron Man pinball machine purchased by Project Pinball Charity, is signed by Stern Pinball employees including Iron Man game designer, John Borg, and will be placed in the hospital for patients to enjoy.

"We're thankful to be teaming up with Project Pinball Charity and Advocate Children's Hospital to share our love for pinball with patients such as Zach who have faced these challenges," said Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball. "Our goal is to provide patients with a fun, entertaining distraction and put a smile on their faces."

Alongside the Dacy family and supporters, Project Pinball's Daniel Spolar, Founder and Senior Director, and Tess Brennan, Development Coordinator, and Stern Pinball's Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO, Jody Dankberg, Director or Marketing and Licensing, and Iron Man game designer, John Borg, will be in attendance at the April 28th hospital dedication.

"We're incredibly grateful to both Project Pinball and Stern Pinball for donating this machine to our hospital," said Lisa Boland, Child Life Manager of Advocate Children's Hospital. "This will be an entertaining distraction for our pediatric patients and help them concentrate on something other than tests, treatments and procedures."