Stop by Children’s Hospital of Colorado on any given Tuesday and you’re likely to see COCPA Life Member Bill Lajoie, CPA, pushing his cart down the halls, passing out coffee, treats, and smiles to the dedicated doctors and nurses who care for Colorado’s sickest kids.

Lajoie has been creating smiles – and maybe a few caffeine jitters – as a beloved fixture at Children’s for 22 years, and he relishes the opportunity to connect with staff as much as they look forward to seeing him.

“The nurses say, ‘Bill’s coming by today,’” Lajoie chuckles. “And when they see that cart coming down the halls, that’s it. It’s like holding up popcorn in Central Park and 12,000 pigeons descending on you. It’s so great.”

“So many of them have said they work every Tuesday because they want to see me,” LaJoie laughs, adding, “Really though, it’s not so much me as the opportunity to come over and take a break. Their jobs are so stressful. 

“In the CPA world, he continues, “you go through intense, stressful periods, but these folks are holding someone’s health, and sometimes that person’s life, in their hands every day. I always tell them they are the hospital’s guardian angels. To be able to take a break is really important to them.”

In the summer 2025 issue of NewsAccount, Lajoie reflects on the cart’s humble beginnings, those who have generously helped make it happen over the years, and the joy that he’s found in the relationships he’s built with hospital staff.

“There are just so many things in life that you enjoy in different ways, whether that’s something intellectual like reading a good book, or something you accomplish in your career,” he says. 

“But the thing about going to Children’s is that it’s a continual, heartwarming segment of your life – an important chapter. Every time I leave that place, no matter how tired I was when I walked in, I feel a lot better when I walk out because of the difference I made in someone’s life, even if it’s only for five minutes.”

Keeping the Cart Going

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic temporarily sidelined Lajoie’s coffee cart, as it involves food. By 2023, however, he was back in business – albeit with a few post-pandemic restrictions. 

“I couldn’t go into patient rooms, but I could pass by the rooms,” he explains. “If there’s a parent, I can ask if they want to come out and get a cookie or coffee, but now the focus is really on the nurses and doctors.”

The pandemic didn’t just change the way Lajoie delivers his treats. Something else changed, as well. Currently without a sponsor to donate the treats, Lajoie is covering the cost of the baked goods out of his own pocket, along with important donations from Haynie & Company, the firm that purchased his practice prior to his retirement, and Matt Carriglitto at HRTH LLC. 

Lajoie emphasizes, “Without Nick Warnick at Haynie and Matt, the cart activity would not exist.”

The smaller number of cookies means that Lajoie can’t cover the hospital the way he used to or in the way he’d like. “There just aren’t enough items to go around,” he says. “If I can get more sponsors, I can cover the whole hospital.

“The No. 1 goal on my to-do list is to expand,” he continues. “I’m dreaming bigger dreams.”

If you would like to donate to Lajoie’s cookies and caffeine program at Children’s Hospital, reach out to him at wgl1211@aol.com or 303-324-0703.

Read the full article, “Bill Lajoie Creates Smiles and Community with Cookies and Caffeine,” in the summer 2025 issue of NewsAccount. 

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