Members of the first team and women's squads met children and families in hospital during the run-up to Christmas.
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00:00 Luke09 is one of the song players here at the hospital today. You must have done this a few
00:04 years now have you? Yeah I think I can't remember a year I haven't missed it so it's a time I really
00:09 enjoy getting to come down here meet the wonderful workers that you know they give everything to our
00:13 city and obviously some families are some families are in here over Christmas so it's nice to kind of
00:19 see them and put a smile on their faces as well. And obviously you get a great reaction from the
00:23 kids by the looks of things? Yeah the kids are magic you know I've got two kids myself and the
00:27 energy that kids have is second to none so I just met little Ryan in there and his energy was
00:32 it was amazing so you know I know we come here to just put a smile on their faces but they do it
00:37 to us as well so it's really nice to be here we've got a few gifts to give out as well and
00:42 yeah if we can make a little bit of a difference on a wonderful time of year and obviously
00:47 it's sometimes a bit difficult for some families it's a nice day for us all. And you're not going
00:51 to get an awful lot of time off over Christmas yourself I'd imagine? No but it's again the
00:55 festive period it's great we get lots of games lots of lots and lots of games which is which is
01:00 what you do it all for so that's an exciting time for a lot of people including ourselves as players
01:04 so it's important that we work hard and give performances that the city will be proud of.
01:09 Derek Curry is the director manager here at Sunderland Royal.
01:17 How big a day is it having the players in today? Oh it's been remarkable as you will appreciate
01:24 Christmas is an exciting time for children and obviously where children come in hospital
01:30 around or over Christmas time they can sometimes feel that excitement and I think what the Sunderland
01:36 players have done today both the men and the women and they've brought some of that excitement back
01:41 and whereas we offer a lot of care and compassion to our children it's a scary place and and I think
01:48 the players visiting today I think flips that experience from something which is potentially
01:53 scary to something which has been exciting and this is a good memory that they will take away
01:57 with them so very many thanks to the players for taking the time out to come and see the children.