Instead of sleeping in his hospital bed, 9-year-old Aahren Fraser was decorating plastic pumpkins with his mom Tuesday morning.
He stuck stickers, smeared glue and carefully placed a fake finger on top of the pumpkin as he and other children at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital attended the Pumpkins for Munchkins party sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts.
Dunkin’ Donuts donated six dozen doughnuts, 250 munchkin doughnut holes, coffee, hot chocolate and plastic pumpkins for children and their parents to enjoy and decorate, said Billy Southworth, the general manager for the Dunkin’ Donuts on Northwest 13th Street.
Fraser said he was happy to have something to do besides being annoyed by doctors.
“They touch my IV and they wake me up,” he said while putting glitter glue on his pumpkin.
This is the second year Dunkin’ Donuts hosted the event, which also happens at children’s hospitals in Jacksonville, Tampa and Orlando, said Ricki Black, a coordinator of special events for Dunkin’ Donuts.
“It’s all about the family and community,” she said. “We were so happy we were asked back.”
She said they donated about 30 plastic pumpkins and delivered extras to children who could not make it out of their hospital beds. This year, there were twice as many volunteers.
“We don’t mind taking the time out of our schedules to come here,” Southworth said.
Kids came in and out of the event as they were able to, said Julie Daniel, an employee with the Child Life department at Shands. The pumpkins were brought to the children who couldn’t leave their rooms.
“We try to get as many in here as we can,” Daniel said.
She said the Child Life department hosts daily events for the kids during holiday seasons to keep them entertained and distracted.
Julian Estadella rolled his IV into the room to decorate a pumpkin for his favorite holiday.
“I was bored,” said the 10-year-old, who was transferred to Shands from Ocala on Monday night. He decorated his pumpkin with pirate stickers.
Southworth said it was nice to be able to give back locally. “It’s just good for the community, and it’s good to give back,” he said.
Children and parents gather around an arts and crafts table to decorate pumpkins with Sprinkles, the Dunkin' Donuts’ mascot, on Oct. 27, 2015. Dunkin’ Donuts donated 40 pumpkins for kids to participate in a no-carve pumpkin activity.
Aahren George, 9, decorates his pumpkin at Dunkin' Donuts’ Pumpkins for Munchkins event. "I decorated my pumpkin with a bunch of fingers, bunch of eyes and a mustache," Aahren said. "I'm going to name my pumpkin Skull Head!"
Nehimiah Savage, 2, eats a frosted donut after decorating a pumpkin during Dunkin' Donuts’ Pumpkins for Munchkins event at UF Health Shands Children's Hospital on Oct. 27, 2015. Nehimiah’s mother, Lakisha Savage, said they had fun at the event.
