Imagine living your life in the same room everyday with no one to play with. Imagine having no one to look up to or motivate you to do better. This is the reality for many pediatric patients. However, the club Tickled Pink gives these kids the opportunity to have someone to play with and look up to. Once a month, Cherokee students go to either the Voorhees Pediatric Center or Weisman’s Rehab Center to play with the patients, make crafts, or just “hangout.”

Now, you may be asking yourself–How did it all start? Back in 2009, Rachel Scott and Jessica Krimmel had the idea of having tea parties with little girls recovering in hospitals. The idea of tea parties with little girls then turned into a club that reaches pediatric patients.

By spending time with the Tickled Pink members, the patients get to socialize and experience being kids even if it is just for a short time. Some of the patients require 24 hour care and do not get to experience socializing with other kids during a school day. On the flip side, the members get rewarded as well. The club opens their eyes to a world that they may never have experienced before. The club adviser, Ms. Carmen Zekaria states that the club rewards everyone involved and benefits the members in numerous ways, “It makes students aware of less fortunate individuals and also gives students the opportunities to give back.” 

The club Tickled Pink is simple yet powerful and is more than just a way to get community service hours. One of the members and co-presidents, Julia Seward says, “Tickled Pink has allowed me to interact with many children with severe disabilities in need of constant medical care. Being able to connect and bond with these children really just makes my heart happy, and allows me to appreciate what I take for granted.” Another co-president of Tickled Pink, Maria Mathew, says, “Tickled Pink’s visits to the Voorhees Pediatric Facility have humbled me and made me realize how lucky I am to have the life I do. This club has had a large impact on how I see the world today.” The club has also influenced its members to volunteer more than just once a month. The third co-president, Emma Rowlands, says, “It has made my love for kids grow, and visiting the Voorhees Pediatric Facility with the club has inspired me to start volunteering there once a week on my own!” This goes to show that Tickled Pink is one of the clubs that leaves a lasting impression on everyone involved. Whether you are the patient or member, the club opens your eyes to a world you may not have even realized was out there.