Dec. 21, 2007 — The holiday season is not just about receiving gifts, it's also about giving and sharing with others, Lt. Gov. Gregory R. Francis said Friday as he joined members of his staff at Schneider Regional Medical Center to hand out presents in the hospital's pediatric ward.
While the presents were plentiful — compliments of the Employee Relations Committee at the Lieutenant Governor's Office — patients, luckily, were few.
"All we have is one child with a bad cold," said Dr. Iris E. Dottin, one of the hospital's pediatricians. "We wanted to have all the kids home by Christmas."
Still, members of the hospital's staff brought their children over to share in the fun and spend some quality time with Francis, who spent most of the morning toting around several of the children. With an infant in each hand at times, Francis was in top form, laughing and "reveling," he said, in the holiday spirit.
Members of the Employee Relations Committee, tasked with coordinating various outreach activities and improving relations within the workplace, have been gathering the gifts over the past few weeks.
"We had a raffle and a coin drive, which is still going on," said Johanna Stefferson, the committee's public relations officer. "And of course, employees in the Lieutenant Governor's Office also donated some presidents."
Stefferson's grandson, Austin, was among the children taking part in Friday's event, delighting the hospital's staff and committee members with some bright smiles and rosy-cheeked giggles. The leftover presents, Stefferson said, will be donated to the Women's Resource Center. The pediatric ward was also given a DVD player and movies for "the kids to watch," she added.
Francis' wife Cheryl also made a difference on St. Croix this year, handing out presents on Wednesday to children at the Head Start Center in Anna's Hope. The gifts are donated in memory of Myr-Chel Smith, an employee of BearingPoint, who passed away this year.
"Some of these kids aren't able to be with their families on Christmas," Francis said at Schneider Regional on Friday. "So this year, we're bringing a family to them. It's amazing what these kinds of small things, something as simple as giving a present, can mean to a child."
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