PROVIDENCE – Attended by more than 600 friends and supporters of Hasbro Children’s Hospital, the hospital’s annual Heroes Ball fundraiser raised $1.3 million to support pediatric care, including $375,000 dedicated to advancing hematology and oncology care.
The event was held at the R.I. Convention Center on March 21 and was chaired by longtime supporter Denise Chakoian.
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The program began with a performance by the Rhode Island Children’s Chorus and featured powerful patient and family stories that highlighted the hospital’s lifesaving work.
Erin Harnedy shared her daughter Isabel’s journey, including a prolonged hospitalization as a newborn in Hasbro Children’s oncology/hematology unit and a critical period requiring ECMO, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation – the highest level of life support.
Thanks to their dedication, Harnedy said, Isabel is now an energetic 8-year-old who loves to dance and swim.
The evening was co-hosted by local news anchor Shannon Hegy, who shared her personal connection to Hasbro Children’s as a parent, and 2026 Champion Child Jasper Casey.
Pediatric hematologist-oncologist Dr. Rishi Lulla also spoke, emphasizing the care, research and innovation that guide families through the most complex diagnoses.
The evening included a live auction and special fund-a-need to support the hospital’s hematology and oncology program, led by professional auctioneer Tom Stebbins, in which guests enthusiastically bid on unique travel experiences to support the care of the state’s only pediatric hospital.
Veer Mudambi is the special projects editor for Providence Business News. He can be reached at Mudambi@PBN.com.
