You may be familiar with George the Giraffe, our beloved Valley Children’s mascot. Perhaps you’ve high-fived him at a local sporting event or danced with him down the hallways of our hospital, but do you know his favorite food or how he likes to spend his free time?
Here are seven facts you might be unfamiliar with about our good friend George:
- His birthday is October 28. (This happens to be two days after Valley Children’s hospital’s birthday – but not the same year, since George is forever 9-years-old.)
- George weighs 1,800 pounds.
- George’s favorite food are leaves and twigs from very tall trees. (He is, after all, 16-feet tall!)
- After being brought to the hospital from a toy store, George now lives at Valley Children’s main campus.
- He stars in his own book series, where he goes “out and about” in Fresno, Madera, Kern and Stanislaus counties. The series also includes a book about water safety and how George came to live at Valley Children’s Hospital.
- In his free time, George enjoys reading, playing outside and helping the kids that visit Valley Children’s feel better.
- George was chosen as Valley Children’s mascot because giraffes have the largest heart of all land animals.
We love George! Next time you see him out and about, make sure to wave hello!