Treats & Treasures Cart
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The Treats & Treasures Cart, provided through the partnership between Kindred Foundation and The EVAN Foundation, is a program designed to bring joy and brighten the day of children who are going through cancer treatment and their families.
The Cart is filled with a wide assortment of toys, healthy snacks, candy, chocolate and other fun items. It is taken around to oncology/hematology patients in the hospitals once a week and is available daily in the clinic. Patients and their families can choose what they would like from the cart at no cost.
The Treats & Treasures Cart Program in Canada is proudly supported and run by Kindred Foundation and The EVAN Foundation.
There are 9 Treats & Treasures Carts in Hospitals Across Canada!
Treats & Treasures Carts in Canada
Dec 2024: Dr. Georges‑L.‑Dumont University Hospital Centre (Moncton, NB)
For all pediatric patients and the pediatric clinic
August 2024: Southlake Regional Health Centre (Newmarket, ON)
For the entire pediatrics department and oncology clinic
May 2024: Surrey Memorial Hospital (Surrey, BC)
In partnership with Team Finn and for the entire pediatrics department and oncology clinic
March 2024: IWK Health (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
In the oncology/hematology unit and clinic
July 2023: CancerCare Manitoba (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
In the oncology/hematology clinic
Feb 2023: B.C. Children's Hospital (Vancouver, BC)
In the oncology/hematology unit and clinic
July 2022: Jim Pattison Children's Hospital (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
For the entire hospital and oncology/hematology clinic
July 2022: Alberta Children's Hospital (Calgary, Alberta)
In the oncology/hematology unit and clinic
Sept 2021: Stollery Children's Hospital (Edmonton, Alberta)
In the oncology/hematology unit and clinic
Treats & Treasures Carts in the US and UK
The EVAN Foundation launched the Treats & Treasures Cart Program in the U.S. in 2012 at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. The program is now found in hospitals across the US, including The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, MI, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte. In December 2023, the first Treats & Treasures Cart was launched in the UK at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, England!
We'd love to hear from you!
Has your family experienced the Treats & Treasures Cart?
Email us at info@kindredfoundation.ca to share stories, pictures and suggestions.
Are you interested in donating new items for a Treats & Treasures Cart?
Please contact us for information. We can share a list of popular items!
More information about the Treats & Treasures Cart
If you would like more information about the Treats & Treasures Cart program, please contact us and we would love to talk to you. Here are some highlights:
Kindred Foundation and The EVAN Foundation purchase the custom medical-grade Cart and provide a yearly stipend to purchase everything that is needed to keep the Cart stocked with treats, treasures, and other fun items.
The hospital decides what goes on the Cart. We can provide suggestions on what is popular on the Cart to help with the ordering process.
Patients can choose both a treat and a treasure. Anyone in the room can select items from the Cart at no cost.
The Cart is typically managed by Child Life and we can help with designing procedures that align with hospital policies to ensure patient, family, staff, and volunteer safety.
The Cart gives everyone something to consistently look forward to and provides a much-needed break from medical activities. Kids are often motivated to walk to the door to make their choices, but because the cart is on wheels, it can also be brought to the bedside, if permitted.
The Inspiration behind the Treats & Treasures Cart
Evan Lindberg was a boy who “lived every day with joy in his heart, compassion in his soul, and love and laughter as his guiding stars” (EVAN Foundation website). Evan was diagnosed with stage IV high-risk neuroblastoma in 2006. He experienced an extensive list of treatments that included 7 surgeries (4 of which were brain surgeries), 35 rounds of chemotherapy, and 25 days of immunotherapy where the major side-effect is pain. Unfortunately, available treatments at the time failed Evan and he died in 2010. Evan’s spirit lives on in many ways through his family and friends, and also through Evan’s Victory Against Neuroblastoma (EVAN) Foundation.
