Brotherly Love: Healing Hearts On Halloween
Reported By: Dave Huddleston, CBS 3
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2010/10/27/brotherly-love-healing-hearts-on-halloween/
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CBS – Philadelphia
Friday, October 29th, 2010NBC – Philadelphia
Friday, October 29th, 2010Healing Hearts on Halloween
NBCPhiladelphia.com – Rosemary ConnorsA New Jersey teen helps sick children in the hospital celebrate their Halloween.
Mullica Hill teen brings Halloween to hospitalized youths
Wednesday, October 20th, 2010Posted on Tue, Oct. 19, 2010
Kevin Riordan: Mullica Hill teen brings Halloween to hospitalized youths
By Kevin Riordan
Inquirer Columnist
Sal Dragone used to go trick-or-treating as Elmo or Elvis.
But this Halloween, the Clearview Regional High School sophomore will once again be Santa Claus.
He won’t need a costume. His charity, Healing Hearts on Halloween, plans to distribute holiday-theme gift bags to more than 1,500 hospitalized or institutionalized children in South Jersey, Philadelphia, and beyond.
“It’s a cool feeling,” says Sal, 16, relaxing in the kitchen of his family’s Mullica Hill home. “It’s not something you can explain.”
Let’s give it a shot – particularly the part about Healing Hearts’ getting its start in 2001, when Sal was all of 7.
“I had the idea when I was out trick-or-treating,” he recalls. “I was just thinking about the kids who were sick and couldn’t go out. I wanted to give them my candy.”
“He’s always had a good heart,” Sal’s mother, Felicia, chimes in.
“He was so bothered” by other kids missing out on his beloved holiday, she says, noting that Sal’s younger brother Anthony – now 13 and healthy – was ill when the two were little. Anthony is now an enthusiastic supporter of Healing Hearts.
The nonprofit organization collects monetary donations to purchase and distribute the bags of goodies – which, as per various hospital regulations, include no candy.
Since mid-September, shipments of small gifts have been arriving at Felicia’s office, Prudential Fox & Roach in Mullica Hill. “Once mid-October hits,” she says, “things get insane.”
Between 30 and 40 volunteers – some of them elementary students who return every year – have helped fill bags. Adults will deliver them to regional hospitals and other facilities. Healing Hearts also mails a shipment to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.
“I can’t take credit for all of it,” Sal says. “I couldn’t have done it without my family.”
Unlike many well-intentioned impulses, youthful or otherwise, Sal’s desire to help sick kids enjoy Halloween didn’t diminish over time.
“I remember he wanted to sell his toys to make money,” Felicia says. “I looked out the window, and he was bringing them to the school-bus stop.”
Rather than sell playthings, Sal opted to raise money by soliciting from local businesses. Before the charity even had a name, “it started breathing on its own,” says Felicia, whose husband, also named Sal, is also in the real estate business.
A story in a local newspaper provided an early boost, and a TV appearance did even more.
In 2004, Felicia’s mother, Midge Ahlers of Mantua, wrote a letter to Tony Danza’s syndicated daytime talk show and got Sal an on-air interview about his unique way to pay it forward.
After the show, donations, sponsorships, and fund-raisers grew, and more and more gift bags were delivered to hospitals such as Cooper, Kennedy, and Underwood-Memorial, as well as the Ronald McDonald House in Camden.
“Sal makes a big difference for our kids. He makes their day,” says McDonald House manager Sonia Mixter-Guzman.
“We’re lucky to have him,” she adds. “It’s not like we have 16-year-olds walking in the door every day who care so much.”
Ironically, Sal says, it was easier to raise money when he was younger.
“There’s a difference between a 8-year-old telling a [potential donor] ‘I have my own charity’ and a 16-year-old doing it,” he says, adding that the economy has also slowed donations.
Sal does have other interests, including music. Don’t get him started about the excellence of the Clearview marching band, in which he plays bass drum.
But growing up has not meant his Halloween campaign has gotten old. “I don’t plan on stopping,” he says.
Nor is he afraid of being seen as geeky. It turns out his friends like filling the gift bags.
“It’s kind of cool,” Sal says.
Healing Hearts has taught him “the power of a simple little idea.” And there have been other lessons as well: Each hospital room, and every occupant within, is different.
“You walk in, not knowing how sick somebody is. Or why they’re missing out on Halloween. And then you bring Halloween to them.
“It’s not a chore,” Sal says. “It’s a privilege.”
Contact Kevin Riordan
at 856-779-3845 or kriordan@phillynews.com.
ShareHarrison teen brings treats to others – Gloucester County Times
Monday, October 4th, 2010Harrison teen brings treats to others
Monday, October 04, 2010
By Rebecca Forand rforand@sjnewsco.com
Editor’s note: Each week, the Gloucester County Times seeks to honor those county residents who volunteer their time and service for the community. If someone you know deserves recognition, send an e-mail to Jessica Beym at jbeym@sjnewsco.com.
HARRISON TWP. For the past eight years 16-year-old Sal Dragone has dedicated his time and energy into making Halloween as fun as possible for kids stuck in a bad situation.
When he was 7, Sal went out trick-or treating, just like most normal kids do on Halloween, but he was bothered by the fact that two of his friends were sick and couldn’t go. He asked his parents if they could bring candy to the kids that couldn’t come out.
“They didn’t really take me seriously until I started selling my toys,” he said.
That’s right, the next year around the beginning of August, an 8-year-old Sal started bringing his toys outside and selling them to passers-by to raise money.
Once his parents realized that he wasn’t going to let the idea go, they started looking into how he could do the project. They contacted hospitals and corporate sponsors and began the foundation.
Now the family delivers gift bags filled with toys, coloring books, crayons and trinkets to more than 1,500 kids in five states Ð candy isn’t allowed at the hospitals because of food allergies.
“My goal is to go to every state and every hospital,” he said.
Healing Hearts has brought Sal a lot of attention, including television and radio interviews and being invited to Eagles games to raise funds, but he was recently asked to speak at a luncheon about his efforts.
“I wasn’t really nervous until I got up there,” he said as he compared his relatively new charity to some of the big shots he shared the day with. “It was like playing Little League baseball with Ryan Howard.”
Healing Hearts depends solely on donations, and while companies such as McDonald’s gives coupons, personal monetary donations are necessary to keep the project going.
The family waits until the beginning of October, then they count up the funds they’ve raised and begin choosing items for the bags, usually from Oriental Trading Co., a mail-order business through which they can bulk-order fun toys, games and books.
They then gather friends together to have a few packing days, where everyone stuffs the bags.
“I like the actual delivery day the most,” Sal said. “When I get to hand-deliver, that’s cool.”
And hand-deliver he does, to as many local hospitals he can, including Underwood-Memorial Hospital, Cooper University Hospital and Alfred I. duPont Hospital for children.
Bags are shipped to hospitals in Pennsylvania, New York and Tennessee.
In addition to hospitals, Sal recently added a few shelters to the list of delivery locations, an inclusion that has brought a whole new perspective to the project.
“The kids in the hospitals are sick, but they can go home. It’s cool because those kids don’t have anything,” Sal said.
To donate to the organization, visit www.healingheartsonhalloween.org.
ShareCira Center Is Lending a Helping Hand
Monday, September 20th, 2010
The Cira Building in Philadelphia, Owned and Managed by Brandywine Realty Trust, will be hosting a “Goody Drive” From October 1st through October 15.
Donations will be accepted in the form of Goodies for filling bags to be given to kids in Hospitals and Shelters. A collection bin will be located in the lobby.
The Cira Building is located adjacent to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.
Thank you to the kind folks at the Cira Building and Brandywine Realty Trust.
http://www.ciracentre.com/default2.html
ShareHalloween Hearts
Monday, November 9th, 2009November 9, 2009
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/document-preview.aspx?doc_id=45087493
Sal Dragone, Healing Hearts on Halloween founder, made a stop as Kennedy University Hospital, in Washington, to drop off 1,200 gift bags for children being treated in the hospital.
Pictured from left are Felicia Dragone, Sal’s mother; Ellen Fernandez, Kennedy pediatrics nurse manager; and Sal Dragone.
ShareSal’s Radio Interview
Saturday, October 31st, 2009
Teen Takes Halloween to Kids in Hospitals
Saturday, October 31st, 2009October 31, 2009
http://www.southjersey.com/articles/?articleid=21568
A South Jersey teenager is making Halloween a little less spooky for children in local hospitals.
Sal Dragone, 15, started Healing Hearts on Halloween as a seven-year-old boy:
“I was out trick or treating and two of my friends were absent so I felt pretty upset about it, even though it wasn’t me that was sick. When I got home I said to my mom ‘I want to give my candy to kids who can’t go trick or treating.’”
Sal and a team of volunteers helped to pack 1,200 bags for children in hospitals across five states:
(Griffin): “You’ve got these cool slinkies, crayolas, magic markers, and other games, like you said, to occupy the youngsters while they’re in the hospital?”
(Sal): “What goes into the bag is that we have a bunch of crowns or we have a bunch of straws, books, you know the felt drawers; those are a donation from local people.”
Learn more at www.healingheartsonhalloween.org
ShareTrick or Treating for those who can’t
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009Published October 28th 2009:
http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2009/10/ben_column_-_eat_like_theres_n.html
While the rest of us turn out our house lights …
Sal Dragone, 15, of Mullica Hill, is the founder of Healing Hearts On Halloween – a charity organization that brings Halloween gift bags to kids in hospitals who cannot go trick-or-treating.
“I think it’s amazing to watch it evolve,” said Felicia Dragone, Sal’s mom. “It was 100 kids when we first started, and now we have 1,000 kids in five states. It’s a proud moment to see something that your child created and others embraced.”
Kids in local hospitals like Kennedy Health System, Cooper University Hospital, and Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, as well as hospitals in Pennsylvania, New York, and Tennessee benefit from Sal’s efforts. Up until this year, Sal went bed to bed handing out Halloween gift bags filled with reading books, coloring books and crayons, masks, and small toys. This year, all bags will be shipped due to the H1N1 virus.
Sal was 7 years old when he came up with the idea to bring Halloween to kids in the hospital.
“Two of my friends were sick (on Halloween),” Sal said. “I asked my parents if I could give my candy to the kids who can’t go trick-or-treating,” said Sal. “My mom didn’t really take me seriously because I was only seven, until I started selling my toys to raise money.”
This year Healing Hearts on Halloween is working with Prudential Fox & Roach who have donated time, money, and space. Prudential Fox & Roach, on Bridgeton Pike, in Mullica Hill, has a room dedicated to the cause filled with the ingredients necessary for the perfect trick-or-treat bag.
Sal is also in a band, Saints of Sedition, that often plays benefit shows for his charity.
On Nov. 7 at the Trocadero, in Philadelphia, the band will be playing a show, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Healing Hearts on Halloween. The band with the most supporters at the show will get a better spot in the line-up, and have a better chance to win the $1,000 prize.
Sal will give his portion of the money to Healing Hearts on Halloween should his band win. Tickets are $15, and all attending are asked to mention Saints of Sedition at the door.
“It’s a special feeling to pay it forward,” said Sal. “You know how happy you are when you give, this is so much greater.”
For more information about Healing Hearts on Halloween, visit www.healingheartsonhalloween.org.
- Jessica Landolfi
ShareTeen sweetens Halloween for the sick
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009Tuesday, October 27, 2009
By Jessica Landolfi
For the past eight years, a Gloucester County teen has selflessly been spreading the Halloween spirit.
Sal Dragone, 15, of Mullica Hill is the founder of Healing Hearts On Halloween a charity organization that brings Halloween gift bags to kids in hospitals who cannot go trick-or-treating.
“I think it’s amazing to watch it evolve,” said Felicia Dragone, Sal’s mom. “It was 100 kids when we first started, and now we have 1000 kids in five states. It’s a proud moment to see something that your child created and others embraced.”
Kids in local hospitals like Kennedy Health System, Cooper University Hospital, and Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, as well as hospitals in Pennsylvania, New York, and Tennessee benefit from Sal’s efforts.
Up until this year, Sal went bed to bed handing out Halloween gift bags filled with reading books, coloring books and crayons, masks, and small toys. This year all bags will be shipped due to the H1N1 virus.
Sal was 7 years old when he came up with the idea to bring Halloween to kids in the hospital.
“Two of my friends were sick (on Halloween),” Sal said. “I asked my parents if I could give my candy to the kids who can’t go trick-or-treating,” said Sal. “My mom didn’t really take me seriously because I was only seven, until I started selling my toys to raise money.”
The Dragones now get help from local people and anyone willing to donate.
“A lot of local people help us, lots of volunteers, and a lot of local kids help us, ” said Sal’s mom.
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