MINNEAPOLIS — C.J. Ham channeled his inner-Hulk when he plunged into the end zone in London against the Jets.

On Tuesday at Children's Minnesota in St. Paul the Vikings fullback slipped into a padded green jumpsuit embroidered with purple capris, stretched a plastic mask over his face and more than looked the part.

"You know, I try to be The Hulk every Sunday!" Ham said with a laugh, poking fun at himself for delivering such a corny line. "That was a dad joke right there. … My son loves 'Hulk Smash.' "

Ham and his wife Stephanie were joined by Vikings running backs Cam Akers, Ty Chandler and Myles Gaskin this week to spend their team off-day passing out gifts, including teddy bears, a "Viktor the Viking" book that takes readers on an A-Z voyage through Minnesota and candy, of course, to patients.

"I know a lot of the kids here would love to be out trick-or-treating, so the least we can do is bring trick-or-treating to them," Ham humbly expressed in the hospital's Child Life Zone.

Stephanie Ham dressed as Superwoman; Akers as Iron Man; Chandler as Deadpool; and Gaskin, the only non-superhero of the bunch, suited up as Luigi, masterfully rocking a fake mustache and belly.

"It's not just me giving back to the community," Ham stated. "It's our family. I know last year, our kids were here, too, but having my wife back here, being able to do this with me, is truly what it's all about."

As they traversed the 5^th and 6^th floors, making brief stops for conversations and photographs in more than a dozen rooms that were occupied by young people battling medical challenges, ranging from appendectomies and pneumonia to plights in the in-patient mental health unit, everyone's reactions were similar: They weren't the slightest bit afraid; they were smiling and grateful.

"Can I steal some of your candy, actually?!" Gaskin quipped, playfully yanking a little boy's chain.

Several of the youth shared stories of siblings and friends professing jealousy when they heard Vikings players were coming to see them. Many were prepared for the reverse trick-or-treating, decorating the doors to their rooms with Halloween-themed arts and crafts, such as a paper plate cut and colored to look like a pumpkin that was taped upside down and accompanied with the message: "Feed me candy please."

Like their visitors, some were in disguises: The Mandalorian; a Minion; a 5-week-old boy fighting off RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) laid flat, bundled in a turtle shell. One young person even tried scaring the players, using a voice-changing microphone to greet them when they walked into his unit.

"We come here to put a smile on their face, but I think it puts a smile on our face just as much – just being able to be that light for somebody else," Gaskin said. "Some people aren't doing well, and just to see that burst of energy, [even] just a smile, it gives us a little bit more energy to go about our days."

Nodding in agreement as Gaskin reflected, Chandler added that he enjoyed spreading positivity. He said, "the opportunity to try to be a blessing to someone else" motivated him to show up and lend a hand.

The range of children that players interacted with in their 90-minute visit included a few awaiting foster care or group home placement who are sometimes cared for at the hospital for up to several months.

Children's Minnesota child life associate Rose Mason called the exchanges "absolutely wonderful."

"Some of our kids don't even get out of bed," said Mason, with a clear tone of thankfulness, "but when we tell them that these players are coming, they are up and they are getting ready. The smiles and the joy that it brings [to] our patients – and our families, too; our families are so thankful. We are so thankful that these players bring their time and talent and share a little bit of that with us. It means the world."

Akers got his first lick with the Vikings in late September last season when he was traded from the Rams to Minnesota, and his second stint began 16 days ago by way of Houston. In both instances, he placed community impact atop his priority list because "it's a blessing to be a blessing to somebody," he said.

Last year, he masqueraded as Luigi's brother Mario. He's hopeful to grow his off-field service résumé.

"I come from humble beginnings," Akers added. "Some people say 'the struggle.' I wouldn't say poverty, but I struggled. I didn't have an easy road getting here, so [I'm] just giving back in any way that I can."

About halfway through the visit, Ham was too incredible for his Hulk suit. He leaned over and the upper-back of the costume split with a great ripping sound, revealing his shirt underneath. So on-brand!

Later on, a little boy decked out in Spider-Man gear conquered his initial shyness and snuck up on a couple of the players, wanting to get a photo without his mask. Ham and Akers recognized the bravery and posed with "Spidey" on a cushioned bench. The picture symbolized the power a smile possesses.

"These are the moments that I think really have a lasting impact on my life," Ham said.

Vikings offensive linemen join children's hospital patients on catwalk

The Vikings offensive linemen work together, play together and, once a year, strut the catwalk together.

Right tackle Brian O'Neill and center Garrett Bradbury led the position group on Tuesday in its annual team-up with the M Health Fairview Masonic Children's Hospital, putting on a Halloween Fashion Show to spread cheer and encouragement around the holiday.

O'Neill and Bradbury were joined by Blake Brandel, Ed Ingram, David Quessenberry, Dalton Risner, Dan Feeney, Walter Rouse, Michael Jurgens and Tyrese Robinson.

Linemen were paired with young hospital patients in coordinating costumes, and the pairs showed off their looks together on the "runway" at Omni Viking Lakes Hotel. Favorite getups of the evening included O'Neill as Chase from Paw Patrol walking with Skye, Brandel and his patient paired as mad scientists and Rouse as a Minion. Feeney as Ken, paired of course with Barbie, also was a hit.

"I thought Dan's Ken outfit from Barbie was really good. He's got the mullet and everything," Brandel laughed. "It really all went well together. He also was in a tuxedo for a different costume, which was pretty sharp. Personally, I was a beekeeper with the little bumblebee, so that was really cool. There were some good ones."

Brandel has done the Halloween Fashion Show in previous years but said this time around impacted him a little differently as a new father to infant son Beau.

"I can't imagine. It's such a tough thing what these families are going through," Brandel said. "To be able to be out here for them and support them in whatever way we can, it definitely makes this evening special."

While Brandel was a repeat participant, Rouse thoroughly enjoyed his first experience with the impactful – and fun – event.

"I've never done anything like this before, and I had an absolute blast. I mean, if I could have done 15 more costume changes, I would have been right up there," Rouse told media members. "I was so happy just to go out there with the kids and see the looks on their faces, knowing this could have made their week or even their whole month.

"It truly made me so happy, and I already can't wait to do it next year," he added with a smile.

In addition to the fashion show, guests were treated to dinner options that included "walking tacos," Asian fare and a grilled cheese station, as well as plenty of Halloween-themed treats and snacks. Young people posed for photos with Viktor the Viking and also visited face-painting and balloon animal stations.

"It's really awesome to get together with the community and provide some joy for people who are facing hardships," Brandel said.

Rouse noted the closeness of Minnesota's offensive line group and how much he appreciates that O'Neill brings just as much energy to community events as he does on the field.

"It was so fun to come out and do this as an o-line," Rouse said. "[People sometimes think], 'Oh, we're kind of scary, you know, big ol' linemen' and stuff like that. But honestly, we're the nicest group! We love working with kids.

"You could see it on each and every one of our faces, how much we enjoyed being here with the kids," he added.