The Children's Hospital of Winnipeg is home to a pizza-loving sock puppet that has been bringing smiles to children for decades.

Maria Soroka has been the right-hand woman of NoName for almost 24 years and says she "learns something new every day" as NoName.

"I am inspired by kids and their stories, families, and resiliency," Soroka says. "It is a really cool job."

Starting in 1996, she has been performing as a blue sock puppet, but she says NoName has been around much longer than herself.

NoName Pizza Wall

"Kids watch a lot of TV," Soroka says. "The doctors were a little bit concerned about that."

In the 1980s, doctors noticed that children were watching shows that were not age-appropriate and decided to change that. Using their own money, doctors created CHTV, a television channel for children sick in their beds at the hospital.

With CHTV, NoName the socket puppet was born.

"I am always really struck how kids really buy into puppetry and they fully believe that NoName is alive."

NoName has been eight years old for almost forty years.

"The original coordinator never wanted him to get past eight," Soroka says. His official birthday is April 1 and returns to being an eight-year-old each January. Soroka says this is part of NoName's charm.

For generations, the blue sock puppet has been part of the experience at the hospital. Soroka herself cannot use NoName's voice without the puppet on her hand.

"I am always really struck how kids really buy into puppetry and they fully believe that NoName is alive."

Soroka believes that puppets are great tools for connecting with children.