These doctors are real clowns. When Petit-Pois and Guy-Mauve waltzed into 11-year-old Marjorie’s room on the sixth floor of the Children’s, the young patient played along as the merry twosome marvelled at the artwork she had produced during her almost-two-weeks at the hospital. When Dr. Guy-Mauve accidentally broke a small piece off one of Marjorie’s sculptures, the two flew into a frenzy of clown-esque distress and apology. Marjorie’s face lit up as she burst into delighted laughter. Their mission accomplished, our Doctor Clowns continued their rounds: a soft ukelele serenade to a sick baby, a quiet chat with a teenaged patient. Part of a program called Dr. Clown, the two help lift morale and give sick kids a break from their illness. Sometimes silly, often hilarious, they are always comforting.
The Doctor Clown program is a staple at the Children’s, where laughter is considered to be among the best of medicines. But it isn’t paid for by the government. Enter Andy Collins for Kids.
Putting the fun into fundraising.
Andrew Collins was a businessman in the Montreal textile trade who lived large, spreading fun and joy wherever he went. When he died at the age of 46, his closest friends decided to honour his memory by raising funds for charity. It was clear that it would have to be a children’s charity and it had to be about having fun. They quickly settled on the Montreal Children’s Hospital. “Andy loved kids,” explains Andy’s friend and Andy Collins for kids director, Bruce Charron.
One of their biggest activities is the annual “Fun Day” - a family-oriented golf tournament Bruce describes as “just a crazy, big raucous celebration.” The first Fun Day, in 1997, raised about $9,000. Since then, they have gone on to raise almost $2.5 million. They have funded everything from wilderness therapy for kids with cancer to art therapy to a room at the new hospital on the Glen site.
Bruce says Andy would have been shocked and pleased by what his friends have accomplished in his name. “Our events are nothing but laughter and craziness, while at the same time, giving back.” he explains. “That’s the Andy way.”
These doctors are real clowns. When Petit-Pois and Guy-Mauve waltzed into 11-year-old Marjorie’s room on the sixth floor of the Children’s, the young patient played along as the merry twosome marvelled at the artwork she had produced during her almost-two-weeks at the hospital. When Dr. Guy-Mauve accidentally broke a small piece off one of Marjorie’s sculptures, the two flew into a frenzy of clown-esque distress and apology. Marjorie’s face lit up as she burst into delighted laughter. Their mission accomplished, our Doctor Clowns continued their rounds: a soft ukelele serenade to a sick baby, a quiet chat with a teenaged patient. Part of a program called Dr. Clown, the two help lift morale and give sick kids a break from their illness. Sometimes silly, often hilarious, they are always comforting.
The Doctor Clown program is a staple at the Children’s, where laughter is considered to be among the best of medicines. But it isn’t paid for by the government. Enter Andy Collins for Kids.
Putting the fun into fundraising.
Andrew Collins was a businessman in the Montreal textile trade who lived large, spreading fun and joy wherever he went. When he died at the age of 46, his closest friends decided to honour his memory by raising funds for charity. It was clear that it would have to be a children’s charity and it had to be about having fun. They quickly settled on the Montreal Children’s Hospital. “Andy loved kids,” explains Andy’s friend and Andy Collins for kids director, Bruce Charron.
One of their biggest activities is the annual “Fun Day” - a family-oriented golf tournament Bruce describes as “just a crazy, big raucous celebration.” The first Fun Day, in 1997, raised about $9,000. Since then, they have gone on to raise almost $2.5 million. They have funded everything from wilderness therapy for kids with cancer to art therapy to a room at the new hospital on the Glen site.
Bruce says Andy would have been shocked and pleased by what his friends have accomplished in his name. “Our events are nothing but laughter and craziness, while at the same time, giving back.” he explains. “That’s the Andy way.”