On Saturday, October 8, 2016, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. the beautiful fields surrounding Verrill Farm will be transformed into an old fashioned fair ground for the 10th Annual Harvest Festival and Benefit for Pediatric Care at Emerson Hospital. The event features a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, carnival games, music, food, a raffle and a hay ride to pick-your-own pumpkins out in the fields. The rain date is Saturday, October 15 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Benefit – Emerson Hospital’s Pediatric Care, Caring for All Children in the Community
Proceeds from the Harvest Festival are used to support pediatric care and the Pediatric Intervention Team at Emerson Hospital. Emerson’s Pediatric Invention Team works closely with clinicians and families to provide for the emotional wellbeing of children encountering the hospital environment. The team guides children and families through the surgical experience, helps children complete difficult exams and procedures, reduces fear and anxiety in children in need of urgent medical care, supports children visiting family members who are critically ill, helps families talk about a difficult diagnosis and prognosis with children and works for the wellbeing of all children in the community.
The Pediatric Intervention Team’s Coping Kits program helps children and caregivers successfully manage the hospital experience. Coping Kits contain developmentally-appropriate comfort items and activities for children receiving care at Emerson. Since their introduction in 2006, over 30,000 Coping Kits have been distributed. To date, the Harvest Festival has raised more than $100,000 for pediatric care at Emerson.
Activities include:
- Hay rides, pony rides and petting zoo
- Pick-your-own pumpkins
- Crafts and carnival games
- Violet the Clown — entertainment, balloon animals and face painting
- Fire truck tours
- Live music by Monadnock Bluegrass
- A raffle of items for family entertainment and dining, gift baskets and certificates — all items are generously donated by local businesses.
- Delicious food and beverages a la cart
Proceeds from activity, game and raffle tickets, as well as food purchases go to support pediatric care at Emerson Hospital. Tickets can be purchased at the festival and are five for $10 or 12 for $20. Community sponsors of this year’s Harvest Festival are: Verrill Farm, Cambridge Savings Bank, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates / Atrius Health, Lexington Eye Associates, Emerson Pediatric Hospitalist Group, AFA OB/GYN Associates, Concord OB/GYN, Emerson Anesthesia Associates, Pediatric Dentistry, Learning Express of Acton and Nana McMahon, MD.
Verrill Farm was established as a dairy farm in 1918, just seven years after the founding of Emerson Hospital. The long-time neighbors have established an annual Harvest Festival for families, with proceeds going to help children at the hospital.
