So you thought hockey pucks were just seen during the ice hockey season! Don’t let Stanley hear you say that. For this 3-foot tall, skating and singing hockey puck is a all year-round guy. Did you think pineapples are just for eating and making pina-coladas. Well I guess you just haven’t seen Pablo the singing pineapple and his backup singing oranges or even a Singing Toco Toucan.
These characters are a creative idea that I could make a difference in peoples lives. People that are probably going through the most toughest time of their life. Stanley, Pablo and Taco the Toucan make regular visits to hospitals, and for a brief period of time people forget about their troubles. For over 20 years Stanley, Pablo and Taco have made hundreds of visits including fundraisers and charity events. Stanley was even named the official mascot of the New York Special Olympics and the games for the Physically Challenged.
My most memorable moment to date was when I had attended “A very special arts festival” an arts festival for children with disabilities. I was there with both Stanley and Pablo, and while entertaining with the puck, a woman came up to me and asked.
“Are you the fellow with the singing pineapple?” she asked
I replied “Yes I am”.
She then asked “Were you up at North Shore Hospital on Christmas Eve?”.
I again replied “Yes, I made rounds after the rabbi and before Santa Claus”.
She said “You came in and visited my daughter”.
I said “WOW! That’s great. How is your daughter?”
After a brief pause the woman replied “she passed away”.
I replied “I am so so sorry to hear that”.
She grabbed my hand, squeezed it and said “Don’t be sorry, I want
to say thank you. Thank You so very much. My daughter would not
stop talking about the singing pineapple that came into her
hospital room singing, and gave her a candy cane off his tree”.
“That’s what makes it all worth it ”
~Pat Starace
