Instead of answering doorbells and jokingly chastising kids for reaching for too many pieces of candy, the majority of the 2025 Vikings backfield visited with groups of children in the in-patient mental health unit, taking photos, sharing bits of their individual lives — like their favorite fast foods — and delivering goodies.
Additionally, in the Child Life Zone, a state-of-the-art, therapeutic play area enhanced with mini basketball hoops and a full-fledged entertainment room with a green screen and rock band setup, the players greeted patients who were amidst extended treatments or visiting for clinical appointments.
"We got the word out that the Vikings were going to be here, and everyone was so excited," said Ashley Lawson, Senior Community Engagement Officer for the Children's Minnesota Foundation.
Lawson noted "there was a line out the door" with patients eager to interact with the Vikings players.
"It means so much to our patients and families to be able to see that the community cares about them, especially when they're facing some of the hardest days of their lives," Lawson offered. "And for our staff, and the clinicians and kid experts here at Children's Minnesota, it's just so incredible to see people rally around our patients and families, because that's really – for us, it's all about kids; it's kids first."
She continued, "To see the joy that the Vikings can bring, especially on days like Halloween when some \[patients\] might not get to trick-or-treat in their communities, to bring that joy here is just indescribable."
After hanging for 30 minutes in "The Zone," happily signing autographs and snapping photos, the football players disguised as superheroes embarked on a venture to the hospital's mental health wing and entertained children and adolescents ages 6-18 who were there for mental health services.
It's a "treat being able to come here," Ham said. "It's just as much fun for us, if not more, than the kids."
Steph's presence made the afternoon even more enjoyable for the Duluth native in his 10th NFL season.
"It's amazing," said Ham, whose children have previously attended the pre-Halloween hospital surprise. "She supports me in everything I do, and many of the things I do are because of her and her heart and what she wants to bring to the community. … At the end of the day this is what it's all about. Who you are and the people that you influence are going to mean much more than anything else you do \[in life\]."