"Kids on the Block" goes to Prince George! - Cassie and Friends Society

How many Kids on your Block have “it”?

1 in 1000. Or, to put that into perspective, about 1 to 2 kids in every elementary school.

That’s why we’re on a mission to raise awareness about Juvenile Arthritis (JA) in every community where a kid is affected – in other words, all of them.

Today marks an exciting day as our Kids on the Block Educational Performance program goes on its first-ever road trip to Prince George, BC!

With the generous support of Integris Credit Union, we’ll be visiting six elementary schools in Prince George’s School District #57 to educate kids and teachers about what life’s like with JA – and how they might help.

Through humour and the use of near life-sized puppets, our “Kids on the Block” (KOTB) troupe helps kids understand some of the challenges a classmate with JA might be facing: pain, mobility challenges, frustration and maybe even the feeling they’re a little “different”. Kids then get the opportunity to ask their questions directly to the puppets (which they love) making it easy to ask whatever they might be wondering about the disease and/or their classmate.

We are especially pleased to be in Prince George as rural areas tend to be under-served in terms of resources for families and kids dealing with Juvenile Arthritis. The amazing team from the Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic at BC Children’s Hospital operates an outpatient clinic for pediatric JA patients in Prince George, but we’re excited to bring another layer of support and raise awareness of the disease in the community.

Integris Credit Union’s Lesley Sarrazin, Financial Services Officer (Left) & Alison Hoskins, Controller & Cassie and Friends Board Member.

The Prince George tour has been successfully organized with the help of local parents and participating schools, and supported by a $2,000 donation from Integris Credit Union. The performance program is offered free-of-charge. Children who attend the performance will be provided with a brochure on Juvenile Arthritis that they can review with their parents.

“At Integris, we’re all about people helping people,” says Alison Hoskins, Advisory Chair, Integris Credit Union Foundation. “That’s why Cassie and Friends and the Kids on the Block program is such a great fit for our support. It’s about parents, doctors, educators and even kids joining together to change the way we think about something and help each other through its challenges.”

Hoskins is also a Board Member at Cassie and Friends. Her son, Zachary (now 11), was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis when he was just three years old. He is excited to introduce the puppets at his school.

Terry Roberts, another local parent and Cassie and Friends Board Member, was also instrumental in making this trip possible. His daughter, Genevieve, was recently featured in the Prince George Citizen for her own story on life with JA. She looks forward to having the Kids on the Block visit her school on Tuesday.

KOB will be performing at the following Prince George Schools:

Monday, May 6: