Painted pumpkins spread joy at the Shriners Hospital
Global News
A woman is spreading joy around the Shriners Hospital by painting pumpkins in the form of different cartoon characters. Each pumpkin matches the theme of a different department.
Mario and Luigi, Olaf, and Groot are just some of the characters you might get to see at the Montreal Shriners Hospital this Halloween — and all in the form of pumpkins.
It started as a simple way to bring a smile to children’s faces, but it’s now something that even the staff at the Montreal Shriners hospital have come to look forward to every Halloween.
Anna Parlapiano began painting pumpkins when her daughter had to have surgery at the Shriners seven years ago.
“I was taking my daughter to physio at the Shriners around Halloween and I felt bad for some of the kids who had to be there for a long time,” Parlapiano says.
“I had already painted a pumpkin and thought it would be a nice gesture to bring one into the hospital.”
It was such a success Parlapiano now paints a different pumpkin for every department at the Shriners and hand delivers them every year.
“It brings me great happiness,” she says.
Staff at the Shriners say the pumpkins are very popular.