Hasbro Children's Hospital Heroes Ball

Heroes Ball Raises $1.1 Million for Hasbro Children’s as Hospital Celebrates 25th Anniversary

It’s been 25-years since Hasbro Children’s first opened its doors, and on Saturday, March 2, nearly 800 guests filled the Rhode Island Convention Center to celebrate the milestone during the hospital’s Heroes Ball, raising $1,140,334 to benefit its work.

Funds raised through the event will support hospital programs that would not be possible without philanthropic support, such as child life and the healing arts. The evening’s special fund-a-need, which generated $266,900 of the total raised, will support renovations to the pediatric pre- and post-surgical areas.

Chaired by Robert Vincent, Chairman of IGT Global Solutions Corporation and his wife, Grace, and co-chaired by Deanna and Scott Donnelly, CEO of Textron, the Heroes Ball opened with a cocktail reception featuring an aerialist performing 30-feet in the air. The harmonious sounds of the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus filled the air as guests were then invited into the ballroom.

Event chairs Robert and Grace Vincent, at left, announce the grand total of more than $1.1 million raised for Hasbro Children’s at this year’s Heroes Ball with hospital president Margaret M. Van Bree, MHA, DrPH.

The evening program began with Lawrence A. Aubin, Sr., Chairman of the Lifespan Board of Directors and the Rhode Island Hospital Board of Trustees, and Timothy J. Babineau, MD, President and CEO of Lifespan, expressing gratitude to those who turned the dream of creating a world-class children’s hospital into reality.

“The breakthroughs we’ve had in two-and-a-half decades have changed and saved countless lives,” said Aubin. “To everyone who helped to build Hasbro Children’s and made it what it is today, you are a hero because you changed the landscape of pediatric care forever.”

Margaret M. Van Bree, MHA, DrPH, President of Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital, was next – joined on stage by her special guest emcee, 11-year-old Juliet Provost. Juliet, recently named the hospital’s 2019 Champion Child, was diagnosed with acute rheumatic fever at age 7, a condition that damaged the mitral and aortic valves of her heart. Juliet was a patient at the Pediatric Heart Center and today is doing great. After sharing her story, the sixth grader introduced Amber and Cliff Alston who shared their own experience at Hasbro Children’s.

Juliet Provost, 11, joins Margaret M. Van Bree, MHA, DrPH, President of Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital, on stage as guest emcee of this year’s Heroes Ball. The sixth grader was recently named the hospital’s 2019 Champion Child.

The couple recalled the medical journey of their now nearly-5-year-old daughter, Paige, who was born with omphalocele, an abdominal wall defect which caused her organs to develop in a sac outside her body, and a heart defect. She spent the first 180 days of her life at Hasbro Children’s Hospital and underwent 23 surgical procedures before the age of 4. Today, Paige is in preschool and thriving.

Professional auctioneer Jimmy Tingle presented the event’s live auction and fund-a-need. After the Vincents announced the night’s fundraising total to thunderous applause, Dr. Van Bree returned to the podium with Al Verrecchia, the former Chairman of Hasbro, Inc.

Together, they thanked the community for its generous and unwavering support, and officially announced the public phase of Every Child, Every Day – the campaign for Hasbro Children’s and Bradley Hospital.

“Hasbro Children’s has changed the face of pediatric care for a generation of patients and families in Rhode Island and in our region,” said Dr. Van Bree. “And as thrilled as we are with our hospital’s past, we are even more excited as we look toward the future and our vision of a healthier world for all children.”

Added Verrecchia, chair of Every Child, Every Day, “This new campaign will create the foundation for our next 25-years by modernizing our two pediatric hospitals to match their world-class medical teams. Every Child, Every Day will also grow essential programs and expand lifesaving research in an atmosphere of healing that’s devoted entirely to kids.”

The 2019 Heroes Ball was made possible thanks to presenting sponsors CVS Health and IGT; platinum sponsors Brown Physicians, Inc., Textron, Tyger Event Design + Production, and dozens of other sponsors who contributed to the event’s success.

During the event’s opening cocktail reception, aerialist Molly Baechtold wowed guests with an acrobatic performance some 30-feet in the air.

From left: Gerrie and Al Verrecchia, and Wayne and Jeannie Charness at the Heroes Ball.

The sounds of the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus filled the air as guests entered the ballroom for the Heroes Ball.

Phyllis A. Dennery, MD, Hasbro Children’s Pediatrician-in-Chief, center, and Francois I. Luks, MD, PhD, the hospital’s Pediatric Surgeon-in-Chief, far right, jam with members of the Sugarbabies.

Click HERE to watch featured video from event

Click HERE to watch event highlights