NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - There was a special celebration in Times Square today for some children with special needs.

WCBS 880′s Marla Diamond On The Story

The event, called Broadway Rocks Times Square for St. Mary’s Kids, was held at Father Duffy Square from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There were free performances from “Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark,” “Rock of Ages,” “A Christmas Story: The Musical,” and Off-Broadway’s “Bare” and “Forever Dusty.”

Special needs children at Broadway Rocks Times Square – Sep 20, 2012 (credit: Marla Diamond / WCBS 880)

Jeff Frerick, CEO of the St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children, said the event, presented by the stations of CBS Radio, gave the kids and their cause a much-needed boost.

“Without these kinds of events, we would continue to be less well-known than our kids deserve,” he told WCBS 880 reporter Marla Diamond.

Who are these kids?

“These kids are children that come to us with complications as a result of premature birth. They are children who are victims of severe accidents,” he said.

“Special needs kids and the most vulnerable kids in New York City depend on us. We are it,” Angela Sculti, Director of Corporate and Community Relations for St. Mary’s, told Diamond.

Broadway Rocks Times Square – Sep 20, 2012 (credit: Marla Diamond / WCBS 880)

After 140 years of caring for children, St. Mary’s opens a brand new, state-of-the-art facility on its Bayside campus next week.

“The new pavilion has a state-of-the-art fitness center, electronic medical records at each child’s bedside,” Sculti said. “I mean, everything in the building was designed to do the best we can and bring these kids to health and well-being.”