Spider-Man, outer space and a pool: Learn more about family vacations at Tommy's Place
On June 18, Tommy's Place will open its new 7,000 square foot Centerville location to offer families whose children have cancer free, week-long vacations.
Formerly known as Fernbrook, Tommy's Place Centerville boasts 10 individually-themed bedrooms, an outdoor pool, an 18-seat restaurant with a commercial kitchen, and nonstop adventure.
Tommy's Place opened its first location in Falmouth in July 2021, at the former Elmer Arch Inn, and 100 families have won vacations to stay at the 10-bedroom estate to date.
The houses feature legendary children's favorites, from Mickey Mouse to Spider-Man to Harry Potter, as well as secret passageways, game rooms, arts and crafts areas and more.
How can families apply to Tommy's Place?
In order to be considered for a vacation stay, families must be nominated through a Tommy's Place guest referral partner.
The nominations can be written in the form of a letter to Mass General Hospital in Boston, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Boston Children's Hospital, Bay State Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital at the University of Vermont; UMass Memorial Health in Worcester, Hasbro Children's Hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire, Connecticut's Children's Medical Center and Yale New Haven Children's Hospital.
Once referral partners receive letters, the family names are given to Tim O'Connell, founder of Tommy's Place. O'Connell runs online lotteries twice a year, and books families six months at a time.
"We spin an online wheel that has the kids names on it and then we reach out to families," he said. "They get so excited — and sometimes they can't believe it and I have to convince them that they won."
How can you donate to Tommy's Place?
For O'Connell, the goal is to maintain and sustain the two Tommy's Place properties so he can continue to provide once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, he said.
"We can't ever say we reached our fundraising goal because the need is never-ending," said O'Connell. "We are doing great, but we always need to do great. The bills will never go away."
One way to donate, he said, is through The Lemonade Initiative provided by Rockland Trust bank. There are about 100 bank branches that offer lemonade stand kits to families so they can raise money for Tommy's Place. The initiative, said O'Connell, is designed to financially help Tommy's Place, but to also raise awareness, said O'Connell.
Tommy's Place also accepts donations through Fidelity Charitable accounts.
Gifts of any amount can also be sent directly through the Tommy's Place website. If a family can only afford $5, O'Connell said, it makes a difference. From third party fundraisers to lemonade stands to golf tournaments to bake sales, people have come up with creative ways to help O'Connell with his mission, he said.
"Every penny counts and it helps us pay the bills," he said. "Everything we do is free of cost to these families so every penny, every dollar helps make that happen."
Here's how you can volunteer at Tommy's Place.
If someone can't financially donate to Tommy's Place, O'Connell said he's always looking for people to join his Volunteer Hospitality Cleaning Team. The group helps clean each Tommy's Place location from top to bottom every Sunday when families check out.
To volunteer, call 617-249-4462 or email info@tommysplace.org.
Rachael Devaney writes about community and culture. Reach her at rdevaney@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @RachaelDevaney.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Tommy's Place in Centerville and Falmouth: How to apply or donate
