29 December, 2016
On Monday, December 19, volunteers from the KeepSmilin4Abbie Foundation® made their 4th annual delivery of toys to Boston Children’s Hospital, in honor of Abbie Benford. Abbie passed away at Children’s Hospital on December 18, 2013 after an anaphylactic reaction. Over the course of the three following years, thousands of toys have been donated in Abbie’s name and have brightened the holidays for the 300-400 children who spend their holidays in the hospital each year. The hospital stocks a“store” of donated toys from which parents can select and wrap gifts for their child, as well as siblings.
The Foundation would like to thank the following volunteers: Jean Bertschmann, Molly Bertschmann, Sarah Bertschmann, Isabel Miller Carter, Laurie Collins, Rebecca Collins, Karen Cuddy, Megan Cuddy, Katie Curry, Jess Devine, Mikal Franklin, Emma Lussier, Meghan Lussier, Emily Marculitis, Caroline
Murphy, Emma Murphy, Sophie Schneider, Emma Zack, and Lorrie Zanini. The Foundation would also like to thank the following locations for hosting drop-off boxes: Hopkinton Public Schools; Main Street Pediatrics, Hopkinton; Kennedy Middle School, Natick; Algonquin High School, Northboro; Woodward
School, Southboro; McAuliffe Charter School, Framingham; Seacoast United FC, Framingham; and the University of New Haven. Most especially, the Foundation would like to thank the community for their tremendous generosity and support of this annual Toy Drive.
The mission of the KeepSmilin4Abbie Foundation® is to stop anaphylaxis® through emerging research and technology; to support awareness; and to provide annual scholarships to Hopkinton students who represent the qualities and spirit that Abbie exemplified.
The KeepSmilin4Abbie Foundation® is an all volunteer organization, and is a 501(c)(3) under the internal revenue code. For more information on the work of the Foundation, please check the website: https://keepsmilin4abbie.org/.
