VALHALLA, N.Y. (AP) – George Ross, a star of TV’s “The Apprentice,” and former hockey player Pat LaFontaine cut a ribbon Friday to formally open a computer and video game room they helped build at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.

The room, which fits into the hospital’s kid-friendly philosophy, has video games, personal computers and a monitor for video conferences that will make it easier for patients to communicate with families and friends anywhere in the world.

The hospital is named for Maria Fareri, of Greenwich, Conn., who died in 1995, at age 13, from rabies after a bat bite.

During her time at the medical center, her parents, John and Brenda Fareri, recognized the need for a family-friendly atmosphere and pledged to raise millions of dollars for the new building.

Dr. Michael Gewitz, executive director of the hospital, which is part of Westchester Medical Center, said the new room is off-limits to adults.

“It’s very important that children who are in the hospital have a place where they can go just to be kids,” he said.

LaFontaine’s Companions in Courage organization built the room with the help of a donation from Ross and his wife Billie.

“The reward of seeing children enjoy this space will last us a lifetime,” Ross said.

LaFontaine said his organization was established “to help children feel more comfortable during a very difficult time of their lives. To see these kids, who carry a heavy load sometimes, forget for a moment about their illness is true magic.”

AP-ES-01-28-05 1532EST