Sharks Foundation & Kaiser Permanente award $25,000 grant to Kids and Art Foundation

In celebration of the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer (HFC) campaign, the Sharks Foundation and Kaiser Permanente awarded a $25,000 Community Assist Grant to Kids & Art Foundation, a Bay Area nonprofit that uses art to help reduce the stress, anxiety, and trauma children experience from a cancer diagnosis.

As part of the partnership, all three organizations came together to host a private art workshop for pediatric oncology patients and their families on November 21. The activation delivered an afternoon of creativity, connection, and joy for young patients who have dealt with or are currently undergoing cancer treatment. The grant will also fund two of Kids & Art Foundation’s 2026 Destination Workshops which offer comprehensive family-centered art experiences designed to support emotional wellbeing and provide moments of relief in challenging times.

A CREATIVE ESCAPE INSPIRED BY HOCKEY

Seventeen pediatric oncology patients who are receiving, or received, treatment from Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Hospital and their families were welcomed to Sharks Ice at San Jose for a special workshop blending hockey and healing. After opening remarks and a ceremonial check presentation, the children and their siblings broke out into art pods, each paired with a Sharks player: Mario Ferraro, Michael Misa, Collin Graf, or Sam Dickinson.

Projects included foil shark puppets, an under the sea collage, painting “puck” mini canvases, and a design-a-goalie mask activity. Laughter, teamwork, and imagination filled the room as kids explored new materials and crafted alongside Sharks players and S.J Sharkie.

“The art projects provided so much more than a tangible activity,” said Sharks Foundation Manager, Operations, Jenné Johnson, “the mental health benefits delivered through these crafts are immeasurable. Allowing them to focus on a task and connect with other youth going through a similar experience allowed these children to get out of their heads and distract them from their everyday cycle of treatment and conversations centered around cancer. With an emphasis on providing local youth with access to wellness resources, the opportunity to partner with Kids & Art Foundation and Kaiser Permanente on this event aligned authentically with the Sharks Foundation’s mission.”

Participants then gathered for a live model drawing, sketching the Sharks players that were in attendance, while in-arena host Emily Harlan led the guys in a kid-driven Q&A session. The event closed with a pizza dinner, giving families time to chat, admire the artwork, and enjoy a moment of normalcy during a difficult journey.

For many attendees, the workshop offered more than an afternoon of art. It provided children with a distraction from their treatment and the chance to simply feel like a kid again. Through this activation and the grant, the Sharks Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and Kids & Art Foundation worked together to bring recovery and inspiration to families who need it most.