A carnival arose Saturday, as if by magic, in the old doctors’ parking lot of the GW Hospital, a skip away from the Foggy Bottom Metro station. It arrived complete with the delicacies of a fading summer: the smoky scent of a sizzling barbecue, the elated squeals of children running free and, of course, sublime sunshine. Neither the area’s usual throng of commuters, nor its crumbling blacktop could halt the festivities, which drew more than 1,000 hospital staff and their families to the site of new GW Hospital building.
The carnival, which was closed to the public, was this summer’s version of the hospital’s annual picnic. Event organizers said a party in honor of the new hospital, which breaks ground next month, was a natural theme for the event.
“Everyone has big expectations of the new hospital,” said Jerri Skerker, the hospital’s director of Customer Service and a main carnival planner.
The lively party only heightened what some of the adults there agreed would be a monumental step forward for the GW Hospital. Key chains and T-shirts emblazoned with an artist’s rendering of the new, glass-encased building were distributed to attendants. An enormous cake fashioned into a three-dimensional model of the new hospital, complete with green-frosting landscaping and a little guy on a plastic motorcycle, was also served up for the crowd.
Nemi Chavez, a staff nurse in the hospital’s recovery room who volunteered at the T-shirt booth, said she couldn’t wait for the hospital to be up and running.
“I hope the facilities will have lots of new technology,” she said. “Anything to keep from moving slowly.”
In some ways, the carnival itself resembled what many speculate the new hospital will possess: a spirit of vigor and warmth, without a hint of the dreary tidings usually associated with hospital stays. The sweet, joyous atmosphere of the carnival was a far cry from the pulse-pounding stress of hospital life, and from the expressions on the faces of the adults there, clothed in everything from scrubs to sweats, they appreciated the break from an everyday routine.
However, it was the children who stole the show. Blissfully oblivious to the symbolism of the site or the prospects of the new hospital, they did what kids do best and showed the adults how to have a truly awesome time.
Their parents chased them high and low, but there was no stopping the swarm of kids at the carnival – not at the basketball shoot, or the putting green and definitely not at the bouncing gates of the moon walk, where some children seemed to have found a permanent home. There were no time limits like at a regular carnival (except those imposed by mom or dad). There were no pesky tickets to deal with, and the kids were happy to do as they pleased.
On his second trip through the face-painting line, Christopher Head, 11, was gunning for a giant snake on his arm. His face was already glitter-tinted with a giant spider web covering most of it.
“It’s pretty cool,” he said of the look he was sporting. “I really like spiders.” Though his aunt who works at the hospital’s front desk wasn’t close by, he said he was thankful she’d invited him to come to the carnival.
Adib Milani, 3, also looked satisfied as he attacked a ball of cotton candy as big as his head. His dad Kavian, a family medicine specialist, watched in wonder as his son’s little face morphed into a sticky pink mess in a matter of seconds.
“Yes,” laughed Kavian. “I’d say he’s having a great time today.”
