A DECADES-LONG TRADITION returned to the John Muir Medical Center in Concord this month — a Christmas party to celebrate the hard work of the employees and their families. But there was something unusual about it.
Each year, a different John Muir hospital in the area hosts the Christmas party, but the festivities remain the same. This year, Concord hosted the Christmas party, and next year Walnut Creek will host.
This year’s party also featured the Toys for Tots Foundation, and the NorCal Ambulance company played a significant role in the toy donation effort.
NorCal is the primary provider for John Muir, but on Dec. 6, they didn’t just provide medical care; they filled a wagon with toys for children in need.
“It brings us so much joy to see the families in there, doing the crafts, getting the pictures, and to have a CEO sitting there as Santa in a very big costume and all that,” said Yen Ling Shen, NorCal’s culture and communications manager. “It just means a lot, and this hospital and this community is something that we will continuously support, and because we’re giving back to everybody here.”
Party planning begins months in advance
The John Muir Employee Satisfaction Team — hospital employees who volunteer to plan events for the employees and their families — is the brain behind the event. The chair is Derrick Tate, manager of inpatient rehab at the Concord location and a John Muir Health employee for 18 years. The party tradition has been happening longer than he has worked at John Muir.
Tate said the team starts planning for these parties about six to seven months in advance to coordinate decorations and the theme. They also plan games and crafts for the children and book a photographer.
“It brings us so much joy to see the families in there, doing the crafts, getting the pictures, and to have a CEO sitting there as Santa in a very big costume and all that.”
Yen Ling Shen, NorCal Ambulance communications manager
Folding tables and chairs in the center of the room were covered in tasks such as cookie decorating and face painting. Party games such as mini bowling, mini basket toss, and ring toss lined the wall on tables. Grinch-themed decorations were hung on the walls, an area for photos, and at the back of the room, a photographer took pictures of Santa and the children on a platform where Santa sat on a big red chair with winter decorations around him.
Attendees enjoyed snacks, including animal crackers, bags of apple slices, string cheese, and oranges. Many Employee Satisfaction members dressed in elf costumes and volunteered to help with snacks or activities
Giving back feels ‘fantastic’
Asked why the team conducts these events, Tate responded: “It is a fantastic way to give back to the organization. I know that when I first started, I was bringing my children to the holiday party, and my daughters and I had a fantastic time attending the event. Later, when I became a member of the Employee Satisfaction Team, my daughters were older, and then they started volunteering at the event, which was another thing.
“It’s fantastic to see the smiles on all the employees’ faces and on the faces of all their children, and them getting a chance to come and see Santa and have a fantastic time at the hospital. I know how fortunate I am to work at such an exceptional organization, and I feel this is just one small part that I can give back to all the amazing people I get to work with on a daily basis,” Tate said.
Now, here is John Muir’s little secret: Mike Thomas, John Muir Health’s chief executive officer, was Santa.
Thomas said he puts in the time for this every other year during the Christmas parties because “it makes all of the children so happy and it makes their parents, who are our employees, happy. So, it’s just a wonderful feeling to be here with so much joy.”
By the end of the party, two-and-a-half bins were stocked full of toys for the Toys for Tots Foundation; a happy ending to a festive holiday party.
Mya Eifler is a 10th grader at San Ramon Valley High School in Danville and a CCYJ reporter. She is a member of the school’s journalism club, the Wolfprint.
This story originally appeared in CCSpin.