Friends of Jack Expands to Hasbro Children’s Hospital

We are making preparations to kick off another season of Food for Tots with the Friends of Jack Foundation. We are just a couple of months away from dining at some of the SouthCoast's best restaurants in the name of kids' healthcare.

The Friends of Jack Foundation is the beneficiary of Fun 107's Food for Tots, but you might be wondering what exactly it is that the Friends of Jack does for kids.

An example of the work that Friends of Jack does can now be found at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence. We were there today to launch the Friends of Jack Superhero Program. Flanked by Batman and Catwoman, we walked around the oncology floor of Hasbro, handing out stuffed animals to the kids – some of whom hadn't been outside of the hospital in months.

After handing a mermaid doll to a seven-year-old girl, her mother told me that she hadn't seen her daughter smile all week. It's just incredible what a stuffed animal can do for a child's spirit. We also give children a Friends of Jack teddy bear, complete with a superhero cape and mask.

Child life specialists who work with children every day in medical facilities have told us that that the cape and mask can often serve as a diversion for kids that are undergoing difficult procedures and even sometimes give the kids the strength to get through it.

One of the kids we met today was Kiki from Pawtucket. We found her in one of the Hasbro playrooms. She was recovering from some surgery and absolutely fell in love with her surprise teddy bear and cape. One thing we notice is that the child will often take off the mask and cape and dress up their teddy bear. It's a touching thing to see.