"It's just a special day to be able to go and share a moment with the kids, kids that are going through a lot, families that are going through a lot, to be able to be there and just brighten up their day as much as we can, brighten up a smile or two," said Bergeron, who was decked out as Mario.
"I think the costumes always help for that, especially around Halloween. I think it's a great event for a lot of the guys, a lot of the younger guys to learn that it's important to get involved and be part of the community that has given us so much, especially when you're in a position like we are. Learned a lot over the years, but it always puts things in perspective for all of us. It's always a fun and special day for all of us."
Bergeron, who has set the standard for community contributions during his 19-year tenure with the Black & Gold, has also been able to bring back his Patrice's Pals program for in-person, postgame meet-and-greets this season.
"It's even more special this year, I think," said Bergeron. "It's special to be able to interact with people now, [the media] being in person. It's just being back to the normalcy, having that feeling of we can look forward now and back to what we're used to. Those visits were important and just as important for them as it is for us. Zoom is one thing, but it's never the same as being able to interact 1-on-1 and be there with them."
Bergeron's longtime sidekick, Brad Marchand, who was fittingly dressed as Luigi, concurred.
"This is one of the events we really look forward to every year," said Marchand. "You see the excitement that the kids have when we come in and the excitement we have being part of it. It's disappointing when we weren't able to make it to the hospitals and just the difference that it can make with what these kids have to go through and if we can bring a smile to their face for even a couple minutes, it's worth it. It's definitely one that we really missed during COVID."
For young players like Jeremy Swayman, this year's event is the first time they've been able to participate in an in-person community visit.
"We're super excited about this," said Swayman, who was dressed as Bowser. "It's really special to be in the community and see people firsthand and we did the best we could last year with COVID and being over Zoom. It was still a great experience, but I'm really excited for this and be able to interact with the kids in our community and knowing what they're going through and their families are going through. We want to do everything we can to make it a happy thing."
Brandon Carlo, who was repping Donkey Kong, said that he appreciates events like this one even more now that he's a father.
"I think a lot of things in life revolve around perspective," said Carlo. "And with me having a daughter now, these kids can be going through some hard situations and the biggest thing I'd ever want to see would be a smile on my daughter's face, so hopefully that's something we can bring a lot of today."
