Little Dutch supports the Friends of the Sophia Foundation

Little Dutch is the new ambassador of the Friends of the Sophia Foundation. We were able to do something very special: design a cuddly doll completely free of charge. And her name is Sophia.

“During the preparations for the 2018 Sophia Lichtjesdiner (Diner of Lights), the Friends of the Sophia Foundation reached out to us,’’ says Rinke van der Helm, founder and owner of Little Dutch. “We were asked to donate a wooden scooter to the charity auction which was to be held at the Lichtjesdiner Gala. From that moment on, things developed quickly. As we made an appointment with the people behind the Friends of the Sophia Foundation and saw their commitment, it reminded us of our own team. It felt good from the start.’’

Moved
‘’I was very moved by the things I saw when I got a tour around the hospital. I felt like: ‘This is where children are fighting for their lives’. It made a deep impression on me and I knew: Little Dutch is going to support the Erasmus MC – Sophia Children’s Hospital. That’s for sure.”

Pyjamas and slippers
Rinke: “I took our Rosa doll to our next appointment and only then did I get a good look at the hospital’s mascot Sophia, the girl in the yellow dotted pyjamas. I started to imagine a doll called Sophia right then and there. Back at the Little Dutch office, we started sketching straight away, bringing the mascot to life. There have been some adjustments to the Sophia doll. Instead of pants, we put her in a pyjama dress and we designed bunny slippers to go with the outfit. In her arms, the Sophia doll is holding the well-known Super Monkey, a gift from the Sophia Children’s Hospital to their little patients receiving treatment. This way, Sophia belongs to all the patients.”

Health is a precious thing
“If a family is dealing with a sick child, this has a lot of impact on all of the family members. That is why the work of the Friends of the Sophia Foundation is so incredibly important. We support the Friends of the Sophia Foundation by selling the Sophia doll. A portion of the proceeds is donated to the Sophia Children’s Hospital,” says Rinke. From 3 January 2020 onwards, the Sophia doll has become available in the Friends of Sophia web shop, as well as in many baby and children’s shops in both the Netherlands and abroad, at a price of EUR 17.95. The doll comes in a beautiful storage box with a hospital theme and includes a charity label, providing a clear message about its purpose. For every doll sold, a portion of the proceeds goes the Friends of the Sophia Foundation. Rinke explains: “We hope to set an example for creating more awareness: our health and that of children is precious and not something we should be taking for granted. In this way, anyone can contribute their bit towards this charity!”

More information about the Friends of the Sophia Foundation and all its good work can be found here.