hospital heroes Archives - Athletes for Hope

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Athletes in Action

Athletes in Action

Hospital Heroes Spring Roundup

No matter what sport you play or what level you compete at, bringing a smile to a child’s face is simply unforgettable – especially when that child is in the hospital. Each year, millions of children are hospitalized in the US and in Canada, with studies showing that these children experience higher rates of depression and anxiety than those non-hospitalized.

It’s for these reasons that we started our Hospital Heroes program and why it’s one of the most popular ways for athletes to get involved, give back and feel connected to the communities they live in, or play in!

Throughout the year many of our AFH Athletes participate in hospital visits nationwide, bringing joy to children who need it the most. In our Hospital Heroes spring roundup, we’re highlighting a few of those athlete visits below!

Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital

Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital (OLOL) is a favorite place for AFH University student-athletes at LSU and Southern to visit. From signing autographs and having the opportunity to visit patients in rooms to hosting virtual trivia in the activities room and more, student-athletes always have the best time visiting with their friends at OLOL.

Louisiana State University (LSU)

Earlier this year LSU baseball made a visit to OLOL where they visited with patients, handed out and autographed baseballs and ended their trip by hosting trivia in the activities room. A special shoutout to LSU baseball players Griffin Herring, Brady Neal, Chase Shores and Jared Jones who took time out of their busy spring season prep to spread smiles!

Southern University

Every week different student-athletes from various Southern University teams spend their time at OLOL Children’s Hospital. Through these frequent visits, the student-athletes are able to create meaningful connections that the patients can look forward to each week! From room visits and hosting trivia in the activities room to handing out school swag and more, the student-athletes at Southern are making sure to leave a lasting impact in their community.

During their latest visit, members of the Southern soccer and Southern golf team visited OLOL Children’s Hospital to help host trivia in the activities room and share a few smiles with patients who were able to leave their rooms.

Rady Children’s Hospital

Located in San Diego, California, Rady’s Children’s Hospital is another place where AFH Athletes visit both virtually and in person. At the end of March patients at Rady’s Children’s Hospital had a surprise visit from brothers and San Diego natives Cameron Thomas of the Arizona Cardinals and Zach Thomas of the Los Angeles Rams.

The Thomas brothers spent the day surprising patients in their rooms where they handed out autographed mini footballs, spent time talking with the patients and their families, and created memories that will last a lifetime.

We are so grateful for each of our AFH Athletes who are helping to create moments that matter for children in hospitals nationwide. If you are an athlete who would like to be involved with our Hospital Heroes program, please connect with us here.

Athletes in Action

Hospital Heroes Recap

No matter what sport you play, what level you compete at or where you’re from, bringing a smile to a child’s face is simply unforgettable – especially when that child is in the hospital. Each year, millions of children are hospitalized in the US and in Canada, with studies showing that these children experience higher rates of depression and anxiety than those non-hospitalized. It’s for these reasons that we started our Hospital Heroes program and why it’s one of the most popular ways for athletes to get involved, give back and feel connected to the communities they live and play in. Take a look at some of the highlights from the past few months below!

If you’re an athlete and want to get involved in ongoing visits, please email Denise Kamyuka. Want to support the Hospital Heroes program? Please donate here.

Former Seattle Seahawk and current Cleveland Brown, Ethan Pocic, met with patients and led game games of Bingo via their closed circuit TV channel. Ethan played college football at LSU and return to Our Lady of the Lake Children’s in Baton Rouge to give back to his college town.

PWHPA Toronto Sonnets player, Alexis Woloschuk, joined Children’s Health Foundation patient ambassadors at London Children’s Hospital for their annual field trip. The day was filled with go-karting, rides, and games. Alexis had a Q&A with the ambassadors and signed some autographs.

The New England Patriots 2022 1st round draft pick and former Chattanooga offensive lineman Cole Strange visited with kids at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. He brought so many brights smiles to so many young faces!

Athletes in Action

NFL Prospects Prepare for the Draft By Making Kids Smile

First step: Senior Bowl. Second step: AFH Empowerment Workshop. Third step: Hospital Heroes visits the week of the Draft. Fourth step: Making kids smile.

While the players we met at the 2022 Senior Bowl are getting ready for the next stage of their careers, some of them took time out of their busy schedules to bring smiles to the faces of kids who need it most.

These visits featured:
🏈 Perrion Winfrey of Oklahoma
🏈 Cameron Thomas of SDSU
🏈 Leon O’Neal of Texas A&M
🏈 Braxton Jones of Southern Utah
🏈 Matt Waletzko of North Dakota
🏈 Sterling Weatherford of Miami University
🏈 Jordan Silver of Arkansas
🏈 Dameon Pierce of Florida
🏈 Tycen Anderson of Toledo
🏈 Chris Paul of Tulsa

“The visit was so much fun! Hands down the highlight of my week!”

Chris Paul, Tulsa Football

It’s always an honor to work with athletes at any point in their athletic journey, but it’s extra special to witness the next generation – days before one of the biggest moments in their lives – make an impact in such a meaningful way.

Unsurprisingly, the feedback we received from our hospital partners was nothing short of amazing.

“I just wanted to send you a quick thank you for helping recruit our amazing guests today. Matt, Jordan, and Sterling were so fun and really great sports. We were all truly impressed with their acting, drawing, and sculpting skills! Please let them know how appreciative we are that they took the time to play a game with us and answer some questions [about playing football].”

Leslie Scott, Child Life Specialist at Children’s Wisconsin

Another thank you to the Senior Bowl for making AFH a part of their offerings to players in February. We like to think it goes a long way!