Tony Gonzalez Delivers Buddies to Seniors and Pediatric Patients

Apr 12, 2004, 10:16:00 AM

April 12, 2004 (morning)--On Thursday, March 25, 2004, TE Tony Gonzalez delivered Shadow Buddies to the residents at Beachside Nursing Center as well as to pediatric patients at Miller’s Children’s Hospital in his hometown of Huntington Beach, California. Tony spent time sharing stories and visiting with the seniors and children in both places, and for Tony it was a day well spent!

During the off-season, Tony focuses on his foundation’s programs and giving back to his hometown community is a top priority. As part of his senior program, Books & Buddies, Tony has enlisted the help from his old high school to deliver buddies and share stories with the residents at Beachside Nursing Center. This particular visit was extra special because Tony’s mom, Judy Gonzalez, and Grandmother Helen, a retired nurse, were there with him.

Gonzalez smiles for a photo with Alexis, a pediatric patient at Miller’s Children’s Hospital.

This program encourages students to get involved with seniors in their community, bonding generations and gaining a better understanding of others differences. The students are encouraged to interact with the seniors, read books and share with them materials about their own lives. It was originally piloted back in 1999 with junior high students in Kansas City with input and encouragement from Tony.

Supported by The Tony Gonzalez Foundation, this program benefits both the students’ and the seniors’ increasing compassion within the community. With his mother as a nursing home administrator, Tony grew-up spending much of his time with seniors and understands the importance of including them in the community, as well as the impact it makes on the students involved.

As a special gift to the children, Tony signs a Chiefs helmet for them.

Shadow Buddies® are condition-specific dolls designed to be a friend, “just like me” for children and adults. The buddies that were delivered to the seniors are vision, heart and senior day buddies. Helping medically challenged children and their families has been a priority for the Tony Gonzalez Foundation since it was established in 1998. Delivering Shadow Buddies to young patients is important to Tony and he believes the buddies provide both educational and emotional support and they are used as a form of medical play therapy. Once demonstrated on their buddy, the children can better relate to their own condition and its treatment. Miller Children’s Hospital received an assortment of 100 buddies which included oncology, day surgery, heart, respiratory and vision buddies for their patients. Tony’s buddies are all medium skin toned boys dressed in a Kansas City Chiefs gown with his name and number 88 screened on the gown. Each buddy wears a smile and has heart eyes for love. He enjoyed his time visiting the playrooms and personally delivering his buddies to the young patients. Since his program started six years ago, over 7,800 Tony Gonzalez Buddies have been delivered.

For more information on this program please call Shadow Buddies at (913) 642-4646 or visit the website at www.shadowbuddies.org and click on the Tony Gonzalez Foundation.