Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Meet Hawk, the Golden Retriever.
Hawk is the face of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center's new local Super Bowl commercial this coming Sunday, which highlights the center's special therapy dog program.
"He's six-years-old and has been in [the therapy dog program] since he was about one-and-a-half, so almost five years now," said Kelly Hartman, Hawk's owner.
The local 60-second commercial, called "Tails of Hope," opens as if viewers are walking through Roswell Park through the eyes of the therapy dog. As we see patient visits and families finding comfort, we finally get a glimpse into the research labs to see the golden dog, and eventually learn that Hawk has been narrating the stories all along.
“They call me a therapy dog, but honestly, I just feel like one lucky pup" Hawk says in the commercial as he is being hugged by a young cancer patient.
Dr. Nicole Gerber, co-creator of the therapy dog program and emergency manager at Roswell Park says the program has been with Roswell Park for almost 20 years, since 2006. It all started when Dr. Gerber went around the center with her English setter Monty, who has been forever memorialized as a life-sized bronze statue outside Roswell Park’s main entrance, in Kaminski Park & Gardens.
"It can be a stressful time coming to a hospital, getting diagnoses and treatments," said Dr. Gerber.
"Bringing a complementary healing program like a therapy dog program is something that brings something a little different to help the patients with that stress and help alleviate thoughts, concerns, and fears.
Dogs can actually be healing. There's been a lot of studies that show that being around animals and even touching animals, like pets that you have, it actually promotes lower blood pressure. Physiologically, pets can have a nice healing effect as well as making you smile."
The program currently has 7 dogs in their rotation for patients and families to enjoy at Roswell Park. Dr. Gerber says they try to bring one in every day depending on schedules.
In addition to the commercial, hospital visitors can soon purchase a brand-new wall calendar available for $10 at the hospital’s gift shop. Proceeds from the calendar benefit the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation’s Quality of Life grants, which provides essential programming to lend a helping hand, give emotional support or offer up creative outlets for patients and their families.
Keep your eyes peeled for this "paw"-erful presentation, it is expected to air just before the halftime show!