“The Oliver Patch Project patches are so much more than pieces of material. Our patches reinforce hope, mend loneliness, and repair self doubt. Our patches represent support, compassion, and strength. Our patches are tokens of love, and are the symbols of our Warriors.”
— Brian and Trisha, Oliver’s parents
Welcome to Oliver Patch Project!
Thank you for the opportunity of sharing our program and mission with love YOUR melon. Here is a short video that best explains what Oliver Patch Project is all about.
Our Mission
The Oliver Patch Project (OPP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation whose mission is to create a free, fun, engaging platform where children with childhood cancers and their families can connect through a series of unique patches created by artists and designers just for them.
We empower kids to find their inner warriors, as they endure life changing milestone events, by providing a bit of sunshine throughout their cancer journey.
The project is currently open to children and teens in the United States undergoing active treatment for cancer, is supported by donations, and all the fun is provided to our Warriors 100% free of charge.
We believe in the power of positivity to promote healing.
Why Patches?
The Truth about the Power of Patches
• Community support is a critical part of wellness, especially during and after a traumatic illness.
• Rapport and Connection between the child and their medical team to help children get through challenging and uncomfortable procedures.
• Validation of being seen and recognized for their efforts and valor.
• Achievement badges are a familiar symbol for children and provide acknowledgement for real life experiences.
• Conversation Starter -Warriors may not know how to share their experiences with others or know what to say about their diagnosis, treatment, or recovery but their jacket/tote bag allows them to do so in a positive way.
• Earning and collecting patches is a family endeavor that has benefits for parents and guardians.
Milestones
Like knights preparing for battle, our OPP Warriors suit up in their warrior jacket “armor” and earn Milestone Patches for each medical milestone treatment they complete along their cancer journey.
Milestones are defined as significant events in the development of a person. For cancer patients, milestones symbolize progress. They represent a breakthrough or turning point; a challenge overcome and worthy of celebration.
Thirteen of the strongest and bravest animals represent the thirteen major milestones a child will experience on their cancer journey.
Our empowering milestone patches will be administered to the child by their parent or guardian following each of these events.
How it Works
Step 1
When a child is introduced to the program through a hospital partner, they receive a welcome patch with details on how to sign up. The sign up process is carried out online where they select a jacket or tote bag and 20 of their favorite patches, which have been designed by artists especially for the Oliver Patch Project Warriors.
Step 2
The garment is custom curated with a nickname patch and sent to them at home with a box of milestone patches. The milestone patches represent 13 of the most common medical milestones a child will face, such as chemotherapy, radiation, blood transfusion and hair loss.
Step 3
After enrollment in the project, each Warrior will receive a new patch each month for the next year. All of this is provided to them free of charge through donations to the Oliver Patch Project. This project empowers kids to find their inner warrior, as they endure life changing events no child should ever have to face.
Each monthly patch/QR Code leads to our website where Warriors can watch encouraging videos and can download awesome coloring sheets.
Arts and Educational Content
Creativity is a byproduct of Positivity
OPP is all about the Arts!
OPP creates fun, engaging educational content that supports children and their families throughout their cancer treatment.
Videos can be viewed on the OPP YouTube Channel, monthly Patches of Positivity webpages and OPP Website.
Downloadable coloring pages and additional artistic content are a key component of a child’s well being and part of the OPP curricula.
What Parents are saying:
"I just wanted to let you know we received Jackson's jacket last week and we were blown away! The patches are adorable-and we love his name patch (he does as well). This is such a special gift for him and will mean so much when we can iron-on all his milestone patches. Thank you so much for what you are doing for kids like my son. We so appreciate it and look forward to watching him wear the jacket!"
“I haven’t seen my daughter smile in months, and she gets so happy every time she receives a patch in the mail!”
“My son wears his jacket everywhere…even to sleep!”
OPP Impact
Oliver Patch Project is a 501(c)(3) non profit operating from a home base in Miami, FL and is actively serving children across the United States with a presence in 45 States.
In 2022, 526 kids have received custom empowering jackets and tote bags through the OPP website and in 2023, with strategic hospital partnerships, we will add 750 more children to our OPP family.
Here are a few of our Warriors!
National Patch Day… get ready for AWESOME!
We realized very soon after starting Oliver Patch Project that not only were our Warriors battling cancer, but also dealing with mental health issues. Starting June 24th, 2023 (the day Oliver received his first patch) we are excited to launch, National Patch Day. Out of 25,000 annual applicants we were awarded a National Day and we are excited!
National Patch Day is a FREE initiative encouraging everyone to send love to a child or teen in need of support through a patch.
What’s National Patch day all about?
#NATIONALPATCHDAY
Children and teens face enormous pressure in the world today. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, among adolescents aged 12-17, 36.7% report having persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. When physical and mental health challenges compound these pressures, things can quickly start to feel overwhelming for kids. Phone calls, emails, or text messages can fall short in these instances, but receiving an unexpected gift in the mail can work magic.
Sending physical mail is a powerful way to let a young person know you care, especially in our increasingly digital world. A tangible token of love can alleviate loneliness and foster a sense of true support. Reaching out through the mail reinforces connections in a busy world and reminds kids who are struggling they are not alone.
Although June 24 is the day that Oliver Patch Project’s National Patch Day is celebrated, National Patch Day is a year-round initiative were we want to encourage everyone to send love to a child or teen in need of support every day!
National Patch Day is all about love and embodies the healing magic of one small gesture and we believe every child should be empowered and celebrated every day and we would like you to join us!
HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL PATCH DAY
1. Send OPP your favorite patch and they'll share it with one of their Oliver Patch Project Warriors.
2. Let a young person know you care by sending them an OPP patch. The power of snail mail is real!
The simple facts…outreach matters!
Having been awarded our own National Day, we now will be able to reach over 10 million people and 29,000 direct media outlets everyday through National Day Calendar and their affiliates… therefore providing us with the opportunity to reach lots of kiddos that can use the love.
Programs like Ellen, Fox & Friends, Jimmy Kimmel, The Today Show, CBS Morning, Good Morning America and many others use National Day Calendar content which is currently and consistently the largest trending topic of all time on all social media platforms.
We currently have outstanding support and partnerships with organizations such as Perry Ellis International, Subaru Love Promise, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and even NASA (yes NASA… lol). Most recently we have partnered with Make-A-Wish to send all their wish kids patches this year.
Providing Support Together!
We envision an amazing opportunity for support between Oliver Patch Project and love YOUR melon for this year’s National Patch Day and we would like love YOUR melon to consider sponsorship for our inaugural launch this June 24th.
National Patch Day will have a huge impact on a national scale not only kids battling cancer and life threatening illnesses but the overall mental health issues many children face today. This is a program that we believe love YOUR melon can truly get behind and we would love to schedule a time to discuss in detail how it all works. .
National Patch Day is celebrated year-round program that is 100% free and open to any child that needs some love and support through the mail in a shape of a patch and we welcome you to join our mission.
Thank you for your time and please let us know if you have any questions.
Brian Burkhardt - Executive Director/Co-founder/Fine Artist and Oliver’s Dad
brian@oliverpatchproject.org
c: 305-588-1667
Oliver Patch Project is currently providing smiles in 45 states!