Players on the New York Red Bulls joined with patients at Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health Children’s Cancer Institute to design posters as part of an ongoing partnership between the Red Bulls and Tackle Kids Cancer. For the last several years, players and patients have come together in pairs to create a design for players’ cleats. Due to the pandemic, each duo met up virtually and designed posters instead.
Tackle Kids Cancer patients and Red Bulls players thoroughly enjoyed the virtual meet-ups. Tackle Kids Cancer MVP Liam, on a video call with Red Bulls midfielder Sean Davis, was thrilled to receive his matching poster in the mail. Both held up their posters and were able to share a sweet moment as they admired the handiwork.
Even more than the decorative posters, patients were in for another awesome gift: brand-new TCL tablets!
The tablets are especially important now, given the virtual nature of many school and social gatherings. However, for pediatric cancer patients, this experience has been heightened. The pandemic has forced families of patients to take extra measures to protect their health by maintaining distance from their loved ones. With more isolation for these families, the tablets allow patients to remain connected with friends and loved ones as they undergo treatment.
“We’ve been involved in charitable giving and donating mobile devices like tablets and phones for years to a variety of hospitals like the Children’s Hospital and organizations like Tackle Kids Cancer,” said Joel Sawyer, TCL Mobile Marketing Director. “It’s really our way of giving back to the community and showing that we care by helping people.”
In the video released by the Red Bulls, players also reflected on past events with patients. Connor Lade of the Red Bulls showed off his shoe designed by MVP Kaia a few years ago, as well as the one he created with MVP Megan last year. This partnership with the team has been the source of a lot of joy for patients—from cleat designing events to Tackle Kids Cancer Title Night at Red Bulls stadium—and incredible support for the work being done at the Children’s Cancer Institute.
“The club wants patients to know that they mean the world to us, and that they’re a part of our family,” shared Connor Lade, senior manager of alumni and player relations, New York Red Bulls.
Corporate partners like the New York Red Bulls, as well as the philanthropic efforts of TCL Mobile, are essential to Tackle Kids Cancer’s work. We are so grateful for their support in our mission to care for pediatric cancer patients as we seek a cure for childhood cancer.
Watch the full video here.