“Every chance I have to do this, I will come, for sure,” Lehigh Valley Phantoms player Cooper Marody said. “It’s something that is really important to me - to get a chance to meet these kids and try to put a smile on their face. It’s something that we can do, and it’s a great moment to see the kids.”

Marody, along with teammates Adam Brooks and Adam Karashik, joined the team’s mascot, MelVin, on a special visit to some young patients at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, Allentown, Nov 2. They walked the hallways taking pictures with families and visited a few patients in their rooms, delivering special gift bags filled with stickers, pencils and other swag for all the children and youth they encountered.

For patient Malachi Barlow, it was a thrill to meet the players and MelVin. He talked with the players about Xbox and other video games, as well as their hockey careers. They all had fun posing for pictures for social media.

A younger patient, Radley Sadowski, spoke about sports with the players. A Phantoms fan who has attended hockey games, the highlight was to meet MelVin in person.

According to Brooks, these types of visits are important for all involved.

“It’s such a good feeling to go in there,” Brooks said. “These kids are obviously going through a tough time. It’s the smile on their faces. It’s just a way to give back to the community.”