Home > What We Do > Celebratory Events

PARTIES for HOSPITALIZED Kids AND THEIR FAMILIES

Superhero Celebrations
Kids love superheroes. Mythic figures like Superman and Batman represent unimaginable power and the promise that good will win out over evil. For kids with life-threatening illnesses these are particularly potent ideas. For them, superheroes represent the prospect of a world away from their hospital rooms — a world where they can win the battle over their illnesses, and create a life that better fits their dreams. Each year during the month of February – when Superman was said to be born on Krypton – Hope for Henry hosts Superhero Celebrations at our partner hospitals. These events feature everything superhero, including: Visits from live superheroes like Batman, Wonder Woman and Spiderman; Onsite photo booths so kids can take pictures with their favorite superheroes or villains; Caricaturists who draw pictures of the kids as superheroes; Superhero costumes, masks, capes and related accessories; Superhero action figures and play sets; Superhero t-shirts, comic books, stickers, temporary tattoos and other fun gifts.

Summer Carnivals
Summertime is a special time for children. With the school year behind them, children look forward to fun-filled months of summer camp, family vacations and downtime with friends. Because their immune systems are weak, children undergoing chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants are unable to go to camp or the beach because there are too many people and the risk of getting sick is too high. Also, they need to remain in or near the hospital to seek treatment. To ensure that these children and their families do not miss out on the wonder of summer, Hope for Henry treats patients and their families to salt water taffy, candy buttons, popcorn and ice cream while they play summer carnival games including Bowler Roller, Tip the Cat and Milk Bottles. Smiles abound as the children win prizes and make beautiful sand art and spin art creations while watching jugglers, stilt walkers and other performers. Children leave with pails filled with sunglasses, bubbles, beach balls, glow sticks and candy to ensure that the fun continues.

Halloween Parties
The opportunity to dress up and to get as much free candy as you can carry makes Halloween one of the best days of the year. Hope for Henry Halloween parties give hospitalized kids a chance to celebrate one of their favorite holidays by giving them brand new costumes so they can trick or treat and participate in parades throughout the hospitals. From the hematology/oncology clinics to radiology and surgical waiting rooms, hundreds of princesses, witches and superheroes fill hospital corridors with cheer while collecting candy and toys. For those too ill to leave their hospital rooms, Hope for Henry delivers gift bags and Halloween cheer.

Harry Potter Book Release Parties
Hope for Henry’s first celebratory event took place in July 2005, with Hope for Henry "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" parties at hospitals from Washington, DC to Hackensack and Minneapolis on the day the book was released to the public. Featuring fresh-off-the-presses copies of the new books for each kid, trivia contests, chocolate covered frogs and Bertie Botts jelly beans, these parties were covered nationally by CNN, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal as well as on local television news and in local newspapers. In July 2007, when “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the final book in the Harry Potter series was published, we were back at the hospitals celebrating its arrival by hosting another series of fabulous parties.

If you are interested in sponsoring one of these parties, please contact laurie@hopeforhenry.org.