'The club has community at its heart' - Caledonia Gladiators bring festive spirit to Glasgow Children’s Hospital

Scotland’s professional basketball team Caledonia Gladiators brought smiles and holiday cheer to young patients during a special visit to its charity partner, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.

Members of the men’s and women’s squads spent time with children, their families, and hospital staff, giving out Gladiators merchandise as festive gifts for patients on the wards.

Among the visitors were the women’s side head coach and Olympian, Chantelle Handy, men’s captain Fahro Alihodzic and women’s player Robyn Lewis, who recently starred for the club as they qualified for the Super League Basketball Trophy final in January with a semi-final win over Sheffield Hatters.

Chantelle Handy said: “Getting the chance to spend time with the patients who are in hospital over the Christmas period is always really special. It’s been lovely to share some laughs, play games and bring a little Christmas magic to them at this time of year.

“The positive outlook shown by the patients and their families is inspiring and serves as a great reminder of what our year-round fundraising efforts do for this amazing charity.”

Men’s captain Alihodzic commented: “It’s always a real pleasure to get a chance to meet some of the children and their parents when we visit to Glasgow Children’s Hospital. This charity does amazing work, and it’s great to see how well they support the children here, particularly at this time of year.”

Kirsten Watson, CEO of Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, added: “We’re so pleased to see the Caledonia Gladiators players back on the wards spreading festive cheer this Christmas. The club has community at its heart, and the visit is really uplifting for our patients.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the Caledonia Gladiators ongoing support, especially over the festive period which can be a challenging time for our patients and their families.”

The Caledonia Gladiators have a longstanding partnership with Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, with the charity also sponsoring men’s team captain Fahro Alihodzic.

Over the summer, Caledonia Gladiators launched its ‘shooting for the stars’ campaign in partnership with Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity, which is aiming to raise £25,000 for the hospital's much- loved private cinema for patients.