Toys R Us mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe welcomed to new home in New Brunswick

Cheryl Makin | Courier News and Home News Tribune

Show Caption Hide Caption WATCH: New Jersey Gamer Con honors Geoffrey the Giraffe New Jersey Gamer Con held an impromptu funeral viewing for Toys "R" Us mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe, on July 8 to commemorate the official closing of the company's corporate headquarters on Friday.

NEW BRUNSWICK - With fanfare, jungle-themed music, cupcakes and smiles, Geoffrey the Giraffe was welcomed to his new home Wednesday in the lobby of Bristol-Meyers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

The former Toys 'R' Us mascot, who is nearly 70 years old, was moved from Toys 'R' Us headquarters in Wayne to here earlier this week.

Even before his official unveiling Wednesday, Geoffrey continued bringing joy and smiles to children. Nervous for a procedure happening later in the day, patient Michael Tiongson, 8, put aside his fears and happily participated in the festivities.

"He's excited now," said Michael's mom Sherry Stein. "He was very nervous about getting his tonsils and adenoids out. This is a very good distraction."

EARLIER: Geoffrey the Giraffe finds a new home in New Brunswick

READ: New Jersey Gamer Con honors Geoffrey the Giraffe

Geoffrey seems to be a perfect fit for the children's hospital.

"As the Toys 'R' Us mascot, Geoffrey symbolized the fun and happy times that toys bring to kids," said John Gantner, RWJUH president and CEO, who said he had been looking forward to Geoffrey's welcome to RWJUH. "In our children's hospital, Geoffrey will continue to stimulate the minds and hearts of our littlest patients and briefly replace their fears and apprehension with happy thoughts and some fun.

"At Bristol-Meyers Squibb, we never lose sight of the fact that pediatric patients are children first. They are physically and emotionally different than adult patients. The effective care and treatment of children must include generous doses of support, attention, love and whenever possible, fun. So, from this day forward, Geoffrey will stand tall in our lobby to encourage our smallest patients to smile when they enter our facilities, to forget momentarily the ailments that brought them here, to set aside their fears and to remind them that there are better times — fun times ahead."

With Geoffrey's original name being "Dr. G. Raffe," Gantner added it only seemed appropriate that his new residence was a hospital and he should feel right at home.

"Geoffrey used to be a doctor," Gantner said. "I thought it fitting that and a little bit ironic that Dr. G. Raffe has moved to a hospital in this next stage of his career. And although Geoffrey moved from his former home in Wayne, to his current home in New Brunswick, his job responsibilities have not changed all that much."

Jack Morris, chairman of the RWJ Barnabas Board of Trustees, agreed.

"This is really a special event to have Geoffrey join us," Morris said. "I thought this was so important because we deal with our children — we take care of our children and the families that we serve in New Jersey. To be able to provide the children who come into our hospital with a smile as they are going through traumatic times is so important and I think for the parents to see their children with a smile on their face leaves them with some sign of relief that they are going to get not only a smile, but the best healthcare."

To cheers and many smiles, eight patients — aka zookeepers — tore off the sheet covering Geoffrey before a packed lobby full of hospital staff, board members, patients, family and friends, including Mayor James Cahill and Toys 'R' Us Executive Director of Property Management Steve Waxman.

As Toys ‘R’ Us fell into bankruptcy, the future of Geoffrey's statue seemed uncertain. Founded in 1948, the toy retailer filed for bankruptcy in September and began liquidating its assets prior with a June 30 deadline to finish all sales at Toys ‘R’ Us headquarters and stores. Due to the size and the cost associated with transportation and installation, the company struggled to find a buyer for the statue. No one bid on Geoffrey.

As the deadline drew closer, Toys ‘R’ Us liquidation advisor Joseph Malfitano, of Boulder, Colorado, bought the giraffe and funded the $10,000 to have Geoffrey packed and shipped the 50 miles to here. It was Malfitano who felt that a children's hospital would be the appropriate new home for the beloved mascot as Geoffrey has spent about 70 years of his life bringing fun and happiness to children.

"I was a Toys 'R' Us kid," Malifitano said. "This is an iconic piece of retail history. For it not to continue to bring smiles for years to come was a shame. This seemed like the right solution. I'm happy to see he has a good home."

Upon hearing the plan, RWJBarnabas Health Board Member Ken Rosen agreed to donate the $6,000 needed to install the Geoffrey statue in his new home.

"That was no small commitment," Gantner quipped. "I couldn't fit him in the back of my Ford 150."

It is Rosen’s hope that Geoffrey’s friendly face will help ease the nerves that children have when they come for a visit to the hospital. Rosen's only caveat was that he be able to take a photograph with his 2- and 5-year-old grandsons with Geoffrey. Plans are underway to make that happen as soon as possible.

"I figured if I did this, I would be the coolest person in the world to them," Rosen said. "This wasn't that complicated. What happened to Toys 'R' Us brought a lot of pain to a lot of people. This would bring a lot of happiness to a lot of people. When I heard about it, I thought it would be particularly nice for the kids who come to the hospital with a lot of fears and when they see him, he could make them smile. They would think it's cool. For the parents who come and look at him, I hope he would help make their mood a little lighter."

Staff Writer Cheryl Makin: cmakin@gannettnj.com; 732-565-7256