For the sixth consecutive year, Beads of Courage (BOC) is honored to have Major League Baseball's Charlie Montoyo carrying beads at every Toronto Blue Jays practice and game throughout the entire season.
In the photo above, Charlie is wearing his custom Beads of Courage bracelet. The artist-made glass beads on the bracelet were hand-selected in the blue and white team colors of the Blue Jays and made into a bracelet so Charlie can wear it while actively managing his team.
The Montoyo family first encountered Beads of Courage when their young son Alex participated in the flagship BOC program during treatment for a serious congenital heart defect. The program helps children coping with serious illness by providing a visual and tangible way to chronicle their medical journey and celebrate treatment milestones.
"Beads of Courage is such an important program to help kids tell their stories," says Charlie. "My son became a member 13-1/2 years ago and I’m excited to be able to wear beads for kids with medical conditions like his."
Charlie is an honored member of Team Beads of Courage through our Carry a Bead program, which invites the public, including athletes and celebrities, to literally "carry" or wear beads during an activity or event.
Each bead that is carried is returned to us, packaged with a handwritten note of encouragement, and presented to a child in the BOC program as an Act of Courage bead – a special and coveted bead given on a tough treatment day. These beads remind children who are fighting for their lives to stay strong and remember they are never alone.
We invite YOU to carry a bead like Charlie Montoyo to support kids coping with serious illness with our Special-Edition Baseball Carry a Bead kit.
Each kit contains two beads on a safety pin for you to carry or wear to a baseball practice or game ... even T-ball counts! Return one bead and your note of encouragement which will be given to a child in the Beads of Courage program. Also included is a fun backpack clip with a baseball bead and BOC logo bead for you to keep, along with the official Team Beads of Courage pewter charm.
About Beads of Courage: The mission of Beads of Courage is to provide innovative arts-in-medicine programs for children coping with cancer and other serious illness, their families, and the clinicians who care for them. Beads of Courage programs are evidence-based interventions designed to strengthen resilience, alleviate suffering, and improve the psychosocial adjustment process. Beads of Courage is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. For more information or to donate, visit www.beadsofcourage.org.
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