​Thomas, along with his brother and mom, got a full tour of the Schell Games headquarters, including the work spaces where the video game developers make the magic happen, secret passage ways and corridors, and the testing facilities where the games are play tested. They were able to play test a brand new demo of an upcoming game in virtual reality, play Schell's hit virtual reality game "I Expect You To Die," and even got to play Schell's augmented reality Star Wars game with coaching from the lead developer! 

Because of the nature of their work and the fact that they work for some pretty high profile clients, Schell can't talk about all of their exciting games coming up through development, but that sure didn't stop Thomas from taking a few guesses! We will just have to wait and see if his guesses were right!

Stay tuned for some exciting adventures we have planned for Thomas in Cyber-security! And as always, a huge thank you to our wonderful friends at Schell! 

For Amber and Sergeant Colleen's latest adventure in the world of law enforcement, they visited the Pittsburgh K-9 unit!

​Amber fearlessly put on the training suit and participated in the K-9 training! 

It warms our hearts beyond description to see the friendship between Amber and Sergeant Colleen grow, and we couldn't be more excited for Amber for all the learning opportunities Sergeant Colleen has been able to provide. Their past adventures include visits with the bomb squad and forensics lab, hospital visits and chats with Sergeant Colleen, and trips to the police academy, participation in traffic stops and firearms training, and demonstrations at the bomb squad's practice range!

This week's #FriendshipFriday is brought to you by Miss Isabella, ballerina extraordinaire! Isabella was one of our 2017 Night of Inspiration award winners!  A sweet, energetic,  future ballerina, she was matched with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre performer, Patsy Maxim. Patsy and Isabella’s adventures include trips to the Pittsburgh Ballet, and many visits at the hospital playing games, doing puzzles, dancing, and having fun! Having Pasty gave Isabella something to look forward to at the hospital during treatment. We hope you can make it to this year’s Night of Inspiration to find out who will receive the 2018 Inspiration Awards! For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.ccchampions.com/inspirtation

Meet Sean! Sean LOVES robots! And he is one of the most curious 10-year-olds we have met. We were so excited to introduce him Mark at CapSen Robotics! 

Sean and Mark had a great time touring CapSen and meeting Mark's coworkers! Sean loved learning about the robot that Mark is working to program. Sean had LOTS of questions for Mark! Mark talked about their development process and everything they have to do in order to get a robotics product ready for their client!

​They even got to check out the 3D Printer and printed a turtle and an alien!  

Sean can't wait to head back to CapSen again soon for more robot fun! 

Sophia is one smart cookie, and passionate too! If one thing is for sure, this girl knows what she wants- to be a constitutional lawyer who specializes in immigration and criminal justice reform. We were so happy to be able to connect her with Ellen Doyle of ​Feinstein Doyle Payne & Kravec, LLC.

Sophia and Ellen met for the first time this week and spent some quality time getting to know each other over coffee at a local cafe. Sophia was excited and had many questions for her experienced and knowledgeable role model. They discussed possible future plans for educational trips and a book they may read and discuss together. We are so excited for Sophia and her new friendship with Ellen! Stay tuned to hear about their next adventures in the coming months! 

What an incredible time for our little guy, Adrian! Last week, Adrian got to ring the bell in celebration of the end of his chemotherapy treatment. His special friends Will and Craig, members of Pitt's soccer team, were happy to be able to be a part of this special and emotional day for Adrian. 

Adrian, Will, and Craig spent many hours together during Adrian's treatments talking about Pokemon, playing video games, and just generally having an all-around good time, and we know they are looking forward to many more adventures now that treatment is done! Congratulations Adrian!! 

Tuesday was a gorgeous night for a ball game and an exciting day​ for CCChampions kids Austin and Sean! When asked if we knew anyone that would want to throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Pirates game, we knew just who to call. 

Two-time champion over cancer, Austin, threw the first pitch of the game to fellow cancer defeater and close friend, Sean. Cool, calm, and collected, the boys didn't bat an eye at the pressure of being in front of thousands of people. They have been through much tougher situations together. 

After a flawless first pitch, the boys, along with Austin's grandmother and Sean's dad, got to enjoy the game from incredible seats in the Lexus Club, while the rest of the families and CCChampions friends watched from the stands, complimentary or AT&T SportsNet. 

​We even managed to get our hands on a foul ball! 

Austin and Sean are both alumni of the CCChampions program. Austin, who wants to be a star athlete, was matched with the Carlow men's basketball team. Sean, who wants to be a sports broadcaster, was matched with the Pirates own broadcaster Joe Block.
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Austin and Sean were featured in an article by Noah Hill. Check out his story here! 

And a special thank you to AT&T SportsNet for making this experience possible!

After one of Davis's visits to the hospital, Shawn invited Davis to his office to explore his world of video game making and video game testing. Davis would have tested Shawn's games all day if he could have!

Shawn was particularly excited to show off the Lego building Virtual Reality game that he helped to develop. Shawn was also excited to show off his amazing work place, complete with a new crow's nest, secret doors, and hidden rooms. Everyone loved the visit. Davis loved how all the employees' desks were littered with the coolest toys and it was hard to pull everyone away from the Virtual Reality machines (mom and dad included). 

As you can tell, he's very serious at work!

Friendship moments like these are so special. Instead of trips to Pittsburgh being a time for pricks and prods, for procedures and news about his illness, friendships like these help it become a place where he has a special friend waiting just for him.
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CCChampions question: If you could go anywhere in the world through virtual reality, where would you go?

Toot toot! 

Say hi to our newest kid, Parker! Parker is 9 years old, and cannot wait to become a train conductor! 

Everything in his hospital room is trains. Model trains, train tracks, everything!

We were so excited to introduce him to Conductor Brian!
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Conductor Brian visited Parker in Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, and they instantly hit it off. 

He was so excited when we told him we'd be bringing in Conductor Brian -- he and his mom practiced asking questions beforehand! We didn't get a great picture (Parker didn't want to lose any time posing for pictures), but it's only his first friendship moment of many during his cancer journey!

Parker is hoping to get approval from his doctors to visit his new friend at the tracks soon!

Back in February 2017, something special began.

For the first time, David, a newly diagnosed teen, got to meet his CCChampions role model Cam Johnson. Cam may have 18 inches on David, but that didn't get in the way of David's classic trash-talking. 

David didn't wait long to challenge Cam in one of his favorite activities in the hospital -- nerf gun battles.

Cam would visit David throughout David's cancer journey, going on all sorts of adventures together. One of their favorites was a pizza eating competition at a restaurant around the corner from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

Want to guess who won?

As David got better and better and started heading home, Cam had some good news too! He was transferring to University of North Carolina to be a starter on their Men's Basketball team! 

David and his family were super psyched for Cam, but David had a tough time saying goodbye. As David told us, he was just really going to miss his "brother Cam."

David followed Cam from hundreds of miles away, as Cam crushed the competition and got national recognition for his impact on the court for one of the best teams in the country.

But back home, David missed his CCChampions friend. They still texted each other and the friendship continued to grow, but trash-talking is done much better in person. Months passed, and David didn't know when he would see Cam next.


...until this week!

We're excited to share that these two superstars reunited for the first time in almost a year! They jumped right back in where they left off (if you look closely, you can see a pizza place in the background of the 2nd picture... ). 

Cam shared stories of grad school at UNC, and David shared his excitement for his upcoming baseball season. The brothers were re-united. 

Cam was there for David during the hardest of days. He gave David confidence, silliness, and lots of friendship. In so many ways, he helped David be a kid again. 

As we always say, our friendships aren’t just a one-time event or hospital visit -- the impact of a CCChampions friendship lasts a lifetime.

We met Gabe after he had a minor setback and was an inpatient at the hospital with a fever. He was almost literally bouncing off of the walls. We were happy to entertain him with a game of Jenga (one of his favorites) and a long discussion on everything going on outside his hospital window. Since that initial meeting, we have enjoyed visiting him during his clinic visits and taking trips to the Science Center and The Children’s Museum.​

We hope to introduce Gabe to some robotics role models soon!

Two years later, Dana joined our team as Administrative Assistant & Volunteer Coordinator, helping strengthen the volunteer program so more kids and volunteers could have friendships like hers with Anya.

Dana worked for six years in college and grad school studying physical training, health, and wellness, and we couldn't be more happy for her as she starts to fly in that field!

Three cheers for Dana!

(P.S. As you may have guessed, there's a job opening at CCChampions! www.CCChampions.com/assistant)

Several weeks ago, Kristie and her family were invited by Detective Becky to see the bomb squad! We matched Kristie with Detective Becky because of Kristie's interest in becoming a police officer one day. Kristie and her family had a great day visiting the Bomb Squad. She especially LOVED driving the robot!

Having the chance to visit the Bomb Squad and see everything behind the scenes, Kristie has had some pretty awesome visits thanks to Detective Becky.

Kristie was also able to visit the SWAT team, as well as the Pittsburgh River Rescue! She is certainly learning a lot about all the different pathways she can take as a police officer. Stay tuned to see what adventure Kristie goes on next!

This past weekend Madison and Dan didn't just meet at the Pittsburgh Penguin's ice hockey training arena in Cranberry, they were on it! Madison, along with CCChampions staff and friends, accompanied Para-Olympian, Dan McCoy, for an afternoon of fun and sled hockey!

Dan provided everyone with the appropriate gear and attire as everyone excitedly went onto the ice. To say the least, sled hockey is no joke! Everyone had the chance to slide around the rink while attempting to pass the puck to one another (which was not an easy task).

Madison and Dan have remained good friends and plan to meet again soon for more lessons!

Last week, Adrian met his new friends for the first time - Pitt Men's Soccer players, Will & Craig! The boys enjoyed an evening full of video games, talking, and most importantly, trading Pokemon cards. Adrian LOVES Pokemon, and it just so happens that Will and Craig were both big Pokemon fans when they were kids as well! They even brought Adrian a binder of all their old cards. Needless to say, Adrian was thrilled.

After their initial meeting, the boys were already planning another visit soon. Adrian, his brother Elias, Will and Craig spent the evening talking Pokemon cards and playing a video game called Minecraft. All of the boys are looking forward to getting together again.

If you love Pokemon as much as these boys do, comment and tell us your favorite!

Saturday is the LAST DAY to move your team up on the Leaderboard!

Help our kids build friendships of a lifetime by donating any amount as we close in on our annual fundraiser, March to Friendship. For every $250 each team raises, they are sponsoring one of the friendships in CCChampions - friendships and experiences just like Katie's, who spent a day at the rodeo!

Katie, 16-years old, loves horses, science, reading, & helping others feel good about themselves! After being diagnosed with cancer, Katie decided she wanted to do everything she can to help others like her. She now plans to study genetics & forensics, and would love to get multiple degrees. Most of all, Katie is a proud advocate for finding a cure & helping people overcome childhood cancer.

Spoiler Alert: Katie gets to attend the annual Janet Lynne McAllister Memorial Masquerade Ball this Saturday evening!

There is just ONE WEEK left of our annual Fundraiser, March to Friendship! Help move your team up on the Leaderboard, and more importantly help sponsor a child in CCChampions! Visit our March to Friendship page to see where your team stands in the rankings and how you can create friendship moments for our kids.

Making any donation helps sponsor a friendship just like Savannah's!

​Savannah can be quite the 10 year-old chatterbox, and she surely loves arts and crafts, school, her brother Dylan, playing games, and her animals. 

We met Savannah during one of her many lengthy stays at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.  Within just a few visits we learned so much about Savannah.

She especially loved showing us pictures and videos of her dog, Dixie. We spent lots of time keeping Savannah company at the hospital. When she finished treatment and was feeling stronger, we invited her to attend the North Washington Rodeo and take part in an event full of festivities.

Last August, Dreaming of Three and CCChampions sent Savannah to the North Washington Rodeo. Savannah was the honorary rodeo queen and had so much fun experiencing rodeo life!

Say hi to Sydney - who enjoyed watching movies during her long stays in the clinic, in particular Harry Potter.

We met Sydney when she was dressed up as a ladybug during a Halloween celebration at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.  Though Sydney was at first mighty shy around us, you would never know that now. We matched Sydney with our former intern Vic, who is studying to be a Child Life Specialist at the University of Pittsburgh.  Vic and Sydney became fast friends and they love spending time together when Sydney is in the clinic at the hospital. Sydney and Vic can usually be found playing games, coloring, reading stories, and, of course, enjoying each other’s company with lots of smiles. 

Comment below and share one of your favorite movies as a kid!

P.s. Head to our March to Friendship page to learn more about the fundraiser we have going on through the end of March! You can help sponsor friendships just like Syd's and Vic's!!

Check out some of the Strong Girls of CCChampions!
Click the buttons below to read about each girl's story, role models, and adventures!

​Happy March, friends! March madness is just around the corner, which means the 2018 #MarchToFriendship is almost here! You can help us build friendships for all of the newly diagnosed kids in CCChampions in 2018!
Grab your family, friends, and coworkers and register your team now at www.MarchToFriendship.com. The deadline to register your team is Friday, March 9th!

For every $250 your team raises, you can sponsor a kid like Isabella, who was matched with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre performer, Patsy Maxim. Thanks to our donors from the 2017 March to Friendship, Isabella has been able to visit Patsy in action a couple of times. Recently, Isabella was able to warm up with Patsy before her show!

Our post last week featured Emma's fun-filled day in the kitchen with Chef John - see what Emma's Mom had to say in her own blog post about her daughter's amazing experience:

During hospital stays and clinic visits, Emma has been visited by wonderful folks from CCChampions.  CCChampions (Connecting Children with Champions) was formed for the purpose of connecting kids who have been diagnosed with cancer with role models and friends in a field of their interest.  From book store owners for kids who love to read, to sports broadcasters for kids who love sports announcing, to officers for kids who dream to become members of the police force, CCChampions has connected many kids with heroes and friends to bring a positive experience to their journey.

Emma's Friendship Champion, Jen, has spent time getting to know her interests and passions to plan something special for her.  Not far into their conversations, she knew what would make a perfect day for Emma - the opportunity to shadow a chef at work.  So, in spite of low counts, Emma spent several hours learning from an amazing chef in his kitchen today.  Chef John of Parkhurst Dining taught her so much about flavor combinations, knife skills, and how to take a meal from common to exceptional.  Emma thoroughly enjoyed every minute with Chef John and learned more than we could have imagined - it truly was an amazing day for her.

Even her exhaustion tonight couldn't dampen her excitement about the day that she, Rich, and Kate had with Chef John.  (Ironically, the family member who needed Chef's help the most was still in "isolation" in an attempt to keep everyone healthy - maybe another time!)  It was an unforgettable day, and we are grateful to Chef John and Jen, Emma's Friendship Champion, for making the day so perfect!

​We are so grateful for the kindness of CCChampions and Chef John for Emma's unforgettable day.  We are thankful she was healthy enough to enjoy the day.

​If you love to cook and be in the kitchen as much as Emma does, you’ll love reading about her day with Parkhurst Dining Chef, John Karbowski!

Emma couldn’t wait to meet Chef John and see all what he had planned for them to cook. She told us and her family how she couldn’t wait for this day to come! Luckily for Emma, she has spent a good amount of time in the kitchen at home since she is often cooking with her dad and older sister.

​Little did Emma know, Chef John had three delicious meals ready for her to cook and bake! Ironically, Chef John chose some of Emma’s favorite foods - roasted corn soup and shrimp pot stickers. Needless to say, the excitement and smile on Emma’s face said it all. She was thrilled!