Hillsborough 3rd Grader Donates $2,500 In Toys To Kids' Hospital

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Nine-year-old Owen Boccassini of Hillsborough was recently honored by the township committee for raising more than $2,500 in toys to donate to a local children’s hospital.

The Township Committee presented Boccassini with a proclamation at its Feb. 8 meeting commending him for his "compassion, generosity, and courage."

Boccassini, a Woodfern Elementary School third-grader, was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2018, and now visits Bristol Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital in New Brunswick every three weeks for treatment.

During his treatments, the hospital would give Boccassini a toy to keep entertained. However, once the pandemic hit, the hospital staff told Boccassini to keep the toys since they could only be given out for one-time use due to COVID-19 protocols.

With toys being given out for one-time use and the lack of toy drives due to the pandemic, Boccassini became aware that the toy supply was low and wanted to help.

"He told us he wanted to bring more toys to the hospital for Christmas," said Boccassini's mom Heather. "We set up an Amazon wishlist and he picked out things the hospital needed like travel-sized board games, crafts. And people responded well to it."

Boccassini ended up collecting more than $2,500 in toys and supplies to donate.

He said it felt "good" and made him "happy" to help the other kids.

"We are really proud of him. He is going through such a hard time and for him to think of others and really put thought into what they needed… it was really sweet," said Heather Boccassini.

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