Ticats.ca Staff
Seven-year-old MacKid Giacomo Pugliese had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to “take the field” with offensive lineman Greg Wojt at the launch of Hearts in the Huddle, an exciting new partnership between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and McMaster Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Hearts in the Huddle presented by Direct Energy will bring Ticats players into McMaster Children’s Hospital and its outpatient programs at Chedoke for regular visits with patients. On Monday, Mike Filer, Andy Fantuz, Greg Wojt, CJ Gable, Landon Rice and Simoni Lawrence were on hand to kick off the program.
In addition to regularly scheduled visits to the hospital, the Ticats will provide tickets and special game-day field passes to selected patients and their families.
“Hearts in the Huddle is an extension of the Ticats ongoing outreach to children and youth in our community,” says Tiger-Cats President and COO Glenn Gibson. “The real heroes of this game are the children and their parents who demonstrate such amazing courage. Our objective for Hearts in the Huddle is to bring them some joy and encouragement, and hopefully, a bit of fun.”
Giacomo’s mother, Rita Pugliese remembers how a visit from Brian Bulcke lifted her son’s spirits while he was undergoing chemotherapy for treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the Hospital in April. “Giacomo is a big Ticats fan and he was so thrilled to meet Brian,” says Ms. Pugliese. “The visit allowed him to forget about being sick for a little while and focus on just having fun.”
“We’re proud to have the Ticats on our team, especially as we look forward to the opening of the new McMaster Children’s Health Centre in 2015,” says Dr. Peter Fitzgerald, President, McMaster Children’s Hospital. “Many of the children who will receive care at the new centre have disabilities and face life-long health challenges. Having the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the players on an ongoing basis will provide a source of hope and inspiration.”
“Making a difference in the community is very important to all of us at Direct Energy because we live and work in the communities we serve,” says Kris Tessmer, from Direct Energy. “As a Premier Partner of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats we wanted to find a way to bring the game to children who may not have had the opportunity to cheer on the Tiger-Cats in a live setting, and Hearts in the Huddle is our way of making sure these children get an experience like no other.”
McMaster Children’s Health Centre will be a landmark facility where children with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities receive leading-edge therapy, treatment and support.
The 170,000 square foot centre will be home to the Hospital’s outpatient services currently located at Chedoke:
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Service
• Child and Youth Mental Health Outpatient Program
• Developmental Pediatrics and Rehabilitation Program
• Prosthetics and Orthotics Service
“The Ticats have deep roots in this community and many of our patients look up to the players,” says Pearl Veenema, President and CEO, Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation. “We are incredibly grateful to Bob Young, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats organization and to the players who have committed to making Hearts in the Huddle a touchdown for our patients and families.”
