Junior Honored by Friends of Jack Foundation

The Friends of Jack Foundation each year uses National Superhero Day in late April as an opportunity to recognize “superheroes” who go above and beyond to support their program and local children. One such hero is Moses Brown School junior Corey S., who started the upper school Friends of Jack Club to support projects by the foundation. Foundation founder and president Jill Fearons and executive board member Mary Van Pelt visited our campus and awarded Corey during a school assembly.

The Friends of Jack Foundation is a non-profit organization that works to support children’s mental health and well-being while undergoing medical treatment. The organization has a number of initiatives to support their mission, including the Superhero program. Learn more.

Corey has done a tremendous amount of work to support the foundation. The club he created not only has done work during school day activity time, but also has gathered outside of school to get things done. Corey has been clever about finding fun ways to bring people together, such as seizing on March Madness to invite friends over to watch games and do work for the Foundation at the same time.

“We put together hundreds of hero bear packages containing a bear, a cape, and a mask to be delivered to pediatric patients at local hospitals,” Corey says. “This helps to make the patients feel like a superhero as they may be facing a scary situation.”

Corey and friends got to deliver some of these packages themselves. It was very meaningful to them. “It was nice to see the patients so happy to receive a special gift to brighten what can be a scary hospital stay.”

He has helped Friends of Jack in many other ways, taking part in walks to raise funds, helping with parade floats, working a lemonade stand that raised nearly $1,000, or fun social media fundraisers such as the Tutu Challenge. For the latter, you challenge friends to dress in a red tutu and post it on social media along with a donation which helps Friends of Jack buy toys for kids in need during the holidays. “I talked 10 of my friends into wearing a tutu. It was great!” says Corey.

He says the foundation creates around 25,000 bear hero packages annually for hospitals and other organizations who assist children undergoing medical treatments.

Corey has also made a special bond with Jack, the boy after whom the Foundation is named. They’ve known each other since Jack was two (he’s now 10). After going through their own very challenging hospital experience, his mother and founder Jill Fearons developed the organization to support children and families going through unfamiliar and stressful medical situations.

“I’ve learned all too well since Jack’s illness that not every superhero wears a mask and a cape,” says Jill. “There are incredible people who do extraordinary things walking among us every day. The people we recognize each year are instrumental to the success of our organization, as well as vital members of our community.”

“Corey has been involved with the Friends of Jack since the beginning,” adds Jill. “Not only does he continue to help us, but he is constantly introducing more of his friends and classmates to our mission. I believe that having kids and young adults in charity work is critical so that we can help the next generation learn the importance of giving back.”

“In the summer I served as Jack’s ‘big brother’ while his older two brothers were away at college,” says Corey. (Jack and Corey’s dad have the same birthday so that was a fun connection.) They did activities twice a week, going to Water Wizz, Tree Top Adventures, or even golfing to just name a few.

Corey has also started doing volunteer work for the Ronald McDonald House and hopes that by the summer he’ll have more time to devote to service. “When I’m there it feels good to know I’m helping families that are going through a tough time,” he said.

Thank you Corey for your amazing story of service and care for others. You truly deserve your SuperHero award and are an inspiration to our community!