Thousands of Taylor Swift fans from all over the tri-state region are gathering this weekend at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh for a two-night stop on the music icon’s Eras Tour.
A small group of lucky Swifties who are patients at WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital were among the sold-out crowd Friday night thanks to a generous donor. The seven girls and their mothers were treated to an unforgettable evening starting with a ride on a decked-out party bus, seats in a suite at the stadium, tour T-shirts and merchandise, as well as a full spread of food.
Erin Blake, director of community relations and giving, who helped coordinate the trip, said the seven children were chosen by reaching out to hospital staff to see if they had any patients who were Taylor Swift fans.
Blake said Justin Thompson, owner of Iron Senergy, had a suite at Acrisure Stadium and the tickets, so he wanted to do something special for the patients.
“He is always looking for ways to give back and help out and has provided the girls with a really fun experience,” Blake said. “When he reached out we were excited to take that on.”
Thompson said it was an easy decision, especially for such a highly sought after concert.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to take a few hours one evening for an event like this and hopefully give these kids an escape from whatever it is they’re challenged with,” Thompson said. “I believe kids are the future and you have to give back, I definitely believe in that. And where better to give than to help kids?”
Waiting with the group of girls gathered outside the Children’s Hospital, fully decked out in their concert gear, Thompson said, “I love it. There’s nothing better. If kids don’t put a smile on your face, I’m not sure what does. I can’t wait to see them come out and I hope they have a great time. We’ve done everything we can to set them up with all the features that are up there. We’re just happy to have the opportunity to do it and the resources to do it.”
When asked if there were any surprises in store he simply responded with a slight grin, “not that I’m going to share here now.”
Whatever Thompson may or may not have had up his sleeve, Michelle James, one of the girls attending the show, said she had a dream Taylor surprised them by coming to their suite – a sign perhaps?
James, who is a self-defined “old Swifty,” said she was looking forward to hearing some of Taylor’s earlier songs and was inspired by the singer’s “girl boss” attitude.
Her favorite song, “Picture to Burn,” was not on the show’s expected set list, however she said it did appear on a list of surprise possibilities, so she was holding out hope she might get to hear Taylor perform it.
“Cancer took a lot from me, and the Children’s Hospital has done everything to give stuff back and I think that it’s going to be really cool.”
As the group loaded into the party bus, Blake said she was looking forward to the girls getting in there and for the show to start.
“They have been so excited. They have been sending me pictures of their outfits for weeks and just really getting into everything,” she said.
“Kids need to be kids, and anytime they can have a moment they can step away from all the stresses and everything else that’s been going on and just relax and have fun, that’s what we want to do for them,” Blake said. “It’s just a whole other part of medicine for them.”
