NORWAY — During a recent “Skills Fair” held at Stephens Memorial Hospital, the nursing staff from the Medical/Surgical and ICU departments not only brushed up on their nursing skills, they also gave back to the hospital community.

The Skills Fair is an annual continuing education event, organized by Nursing Staff Educator Lisa Heald, RN.

Heald said that during the fair there are generally door prizes given away as incentives. This year, she proposed putting together baskets and holding a silent auction during the fair, with proceeds received from the baskets benefiting the hospital’s internal Christmas for Kids program.

The Christmas for Kids program is run through the human resources office and benefits employees who cannot afford to give their children as much as they would like to for the holidays.

“People were very receptive, so much in fact that people embraced the idea and began donating their own baskets of goodies, from ‘movie night baskets’ to lotions and jewelry,”

Heald said they raised more than $600 in cash and donated gifts for the program.