Balise Auto Group Drives Healing Forward with a $1 Million Gift to Child Life Services

Three people in suits and two males in white doctor coats pose with big check in a playground

Balise Auto Group has been a trusted name in automobile sales and service in New England for more than a century. Still, their dedication to the community extends far beyond cars. In a remarkable demonstration of that commitment, Balise has pledged a $1 million gift to Hasbro Children’s to establish The Balise Family Endowment, ensuring compassionate, child-centered care for future generations.

This endowment will provide sustainable funding for Hasbro Children’s nationally recognized Child Life Services program. These services are considered essential to the hospital’s comprehensive whole-child approach to care, helping young patients feel safe, seen, and supported during some of their most vulnerable moments.

From therapeutic play to emotional support, Child Life Specialists use evidence-based techniques to ease anxiety and foster resilience in children of all ages. They help explain medical procedures in age-appropriate ways, offer distraction during treatments, and give children tools to express and process their emotions.

Hasbro Children’s Child Life Services team includes eight full-time, one part-time, and three per diem Certified Child Life Specialists, along with a full-time secondary school teacher, a dedicated manager, and a clinical lead.

These highly trained professionals are vital members of the care team, using developmentally appropriate, evidence-based strategies to support children and families through illness, injury, and hospitalization. Despite their critical role, Child Life positions are not covered by insurance, making philanthropy essential to sustaining and growing the program.

“Child Life Services brings comfort, play, and joy into the hospital,” says Alex Balise, Director of Marketing for Balise Auto Group. “We’re honored to help make hospital experiences a little less scary and a lot more hopeful for local kids and their families.”

The decision to support Child Life Services was a natural extension of Balise Auto Group’s ongoing commitment to community and care. Balise Auto Group’s relationship with Hasbro Children’s spans more than a decade and includes generous annual contributions through its Share the Love campaign and the creation of the Balise Healing Garden.

little girl with blond pigtails sits in child-size yellow camaro in hospital hallway — Balise Auto Group’s generosity supports Child Life Services and patient smiles.

In April 2025, Balise Auto Group also donated a fleet of four ride-on vehicles—a black GMC Sierra HD Denali, a red Toyota Tacoma, a pink Volkswagen Beetle, and a yellow Chevy Camaro—to help young patients “drive” into surgery, bringing smiles and easing their anxieties. The cars allow kids to feel empowered in a moment that might otherwise feel scary or overwhelming, turning a potentially stressful day into one with a happy memory of driving a car.

The Balise Family Endowment helps move Hasbro Children’s closer to its broader $10 million goal to fully endow the program, ensuring its long-term future.

The endowment will help fund staff positions, therapeutic programming, and beloved events like summer garden cookouts, and so much more. Each year, hundreds of patients and families will benefit from these meaningful moments of connection and empowerment. These experiences not only bring joy, they also support developmentally appropriate interventions and milestones, strengthen coping strategies, and build a foundation for emotional healing which extends beyond their visit.

“Balise Auto Group is proud to continue supporting the incredible work being done at Hasbro Children’s,” says Jeb Balise, President and CEO. “We hope this contribution brings joy and comfort to families during challenging times for generations to come.”

This gift ensures that Child Life Services won’t just exist today; but will continue to grow and adapt to meet the needs of future patients and families, thanks to the power of philanthropy and its lasting impact on Hasbro Children’s.

“This gift is an investment in the emotional well-being of every child who walks through our doors,” explains Micaela Materne, Manager of Child Life Services. “It’s about creating moments of normalcy and joy during what can be a challenging experience in a child’s life. We’re so grateful to Balise Auto Group for recognizing just how essential that is.”