MontrealAlouettes.com
MONTREAL - Always ready to make a difference in the community, the Alouettes spent their Monday afternoon visiting three Montreal-area hospitals.
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Josh Bourke, Daunte Akra and John Hashem brought smiles to kids at the Montreal Children's Hospital.
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Divided into three groups, the Alouettes brought smiles to children at the CHU Sainte-Justine, the Montreal Children's Hospital and the Shriners Hospitals for Children. The team also took the opportunity to meet with the ailing children's parents.
"Over the last few years, I had to spend a lot of time in hospitals," said quarterback Anthony Calvillo while visiting children at the Shriners. "Despite the strain and hardship both my wife and I have experienced, I cannot begin to imagine what these sick children and their parents must go through every day. Today is a very special day for my teammates and I, and we're all just happy to be able to put a smile on these kids' faces."
In addition to conveying words of encouragement to the families, the Alouettes also met with over 200 children individually to hand out gifts, take photos and sign autographs while creating special memories for everyone involved.
"Seeing our players touch the lives of so many children is something very important to the Alouettes as an organization," said President and Chief Executive Officer, Ray Lalonde. "The chance to visit three Montreal-area hospitals gives the team the best opportunity to brighten the day of those who need it most. An initiative like this one is a critical part of our commitment to the Montreal community."
Having a strong presence in the community continues to be a priority for the Montreal Alouettes’ organization. The team is also implicated in education curriculums with its CN Adopt an Alouette program which has a mandate of helping student-athletes achieve success in the classroom, on the playing field, and in life.
