NEW ORLEANS — For a brief moment, the hallway inside the hospital felt like you were inside a miniature stadium as the Baylor Bears were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of children and their families at the Children's Hospital in New Orleans.
Almost two dozen players signed autographs, posed for photos and played games with patients, who were smiling from ear to ear.
"Play is apart of therapy, and to have these players come in and just spend time with the kids and engage with them, it just brightens their day," said CEO of Children's Hospital John Nickens. "It makes their entire day and makes their therapy better within the hospital."
The Children's Hospital also introduced Baylor to the second line band, which entertained the team, patients and employees. Nickens said the workers were also excited to welcome the Bears with open arms.
"When the team arrived, it wasn't just the patients lined up," Nickens said. "It was all of our employees as well. They really wanted to say, 'Welcome to New Orleans and to the Children's Hospital.'"
Baylor Bears visit Children's Hospital in New Orleans ahead of Sugar Bowl
Baylor will play Georgia at 7:45 p.m. in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. A win would give the program a fourth straight bowl victory and its sixth in the last eight bowl games dating back to 2010.
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