While you probably know Saints Super Fan “Little JJ” Robertson, you may not be aware of the organization that helped him go viral. As part of What You Give Will Grow’s Holiday Giveaway, the entire Saints team visited Ochsner Hospital and first met JJ, which led to the heartwarming team “signing.”
Founded with a mission to help children with cancer and other health issues, What You Give Will Grow is a multi-faceted organization with community programs including the Holiday Giveaway, Prom of Champions, Team Comeback Kids, Game Day Heroes, Gleason Gras and the Louisiana Child Life Council, among others. These programs are presented at an extraordinary “100% in, 100% out” of fundraising, with foundation President and Saints punter Thomas Morstead generously donating administrative costs.
Whether organizing a massive prom for kids with cancer and blood disorders or bringing together families facing the same illness for fellowship and fun, Morstead and Executive Director Dennis Lomonaco are consistently finding ways to help those who deserve a break from hospitals and hardships. One way the organization is bettering the hospital experience is by advocating and fundraising for Child Life services, a little-known and often underfunded hospital department for hospitalized children and their families.
This year, the organization produced a mini-documentary, This is Child Life, which raises awareness of this impactful hospital program. From explaining to a child his terminal diagnosis or a complex procedure, or educating a child’s classmates on her illness, to providing patients with entertainment, Child Life programs are invaluable to the families they serve. With the Louisiana Child Life Council, What You Give Will Grow is building awareness, funds and collaborative opportunities for statewide programs.
1340 Poydras Street, Suite 1720 • New Orleans
wygwg.org
