December 19, 2003

Construction workers build happy holidays for Proton Therapy Center

The Walsh Brothers construction workers have been hard at work on the new Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care, scheduled to open in the fall of 2004. In their spare time, they have been equally busy raising funds — approximately $12,000 — this holiday season to provide an entertainment center for pediatric patients being treated at the MGH's Northeast Proton Therapy Center (NPTC).

The idea to raise money for the NPTC patients originated with carpenter foreman Kevin McDavitt and skyrocketed from there. The workers chose the NPTC as the recipient of the donations because the Yawkey Center will engulf the center when completed. Some of the workers have been able to get to know the patients while on the job.

The goal was to raise enough money to set up an entertainment center in the NPTC and to give an individual gift to each pediatric patient receiving treatment there. Each week, the construction workers have contributed money and kept track of donations with a thermometer placed in the Yawkey Center's elevator.

More than half of the funds went to the construction of the entertainment center — which includes furniture to hold a television, DVD player and PlayStation, a computer desk, a computer with a cordless mouse and keyboard, a television with a DVD player, 75 movies, a PlayStation and games, as well as individual Game Boys.

The rest of the funds went to purchasing individual gifts for the patients, such as a 13-inch television with a VCR, a PlayStation, Hot Wheels cars, Little People play sets and Legos.