ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A Halloween bash for children at a local hospital was filled with more fun than fear.
Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital on Thursday teamed up once again with Spirit Halloween for their annual Halloween party.
"I get to see other people with cancer sometimes, and it's nice to bond with people,” said Konnor White, 12, of Easton, a patient at the hospital.
“Kids who are in the hospital, oftentimes it can be a scary situation and also doesn't make them feel like kids."Becka Bossons
Konnor was diagnosed with leukemia back in February.
“He got a tattoo, and he got his Halloween costumes,” said his mom, Keva Partee, who brought Konnor’s brothers and sisters to join the festivities with their older brother.
“He's not in school right now, so he can't see his friends, but he's always in the house, depending on what part of treatment he's in," Partee said.
"He's immunocompromised, things like that, so this makes him feel like it's going to be okay and push forward.”
Their family is exactly why Spirit Halloween teams up with Lehigh Valley Health Network to throw the fright fest every year.
“Some have been through the Children's Hospital in some capacity, whether inpatient or outpatient and they get to come to the hospital and not be a patient today and just have fun,” said Lisa Makhoul, a child life specialist with LVHN.
'Feel a little bit like kids'
The Spirit Halloween collects money from in-store and online purchases to hold such special get-togethers.
“Kids who are in the hospital, oftentimes it can be a scary situation and also doesn't make them feel like kids," said Becka Bossons, a district manager for Spirit Halloween.
"We like to also bring a little bit of Halloween to the hospitals for the kids who can't leave the hospitals and enjoy Halloween."Becka Bossons, a district manager for Spirit Halloween
"So having the party allows them to feel a little bit like kids.”
The retail store also has a charitable organization called the Spirit of Children that collaborates with the children’s hospital for the event.
"We like to also bring a little bit of Halloween to the hospitals for the kids who can't leave the hospitals and enjoy Halloween,” Bossons said.
This year, Spirit of Children hopes to hit the $1million dollar mark on donations to Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. It's been giving back to LVHN since 2012.
Spirit Halloween is collecting donations through its last day at the stores, which is Nov. 3.