LOWELL — Of the 60,000 $1 tickets sold since Nov. 25, during Tufts Medicine/Lowell General Hospital’s 19th yearly Themed Basket Raffle fundraiser for Sun Santa, lone 23 radical — the fig of baskets representing the communities served by The Sun — could triumph a prize.
But everybody went location a victor during the Monday day drafting knowing that their donations supply vacation assistance to section families and toys for children connected Christmas Day.
That joyful feeling was noted by Lowell Sun Charities President Kevin Coughlin during his opening remarks. He thanked the hospital, and its CEO Jody White, for the galore years of generous donations from the institution.
“It astir leaves maine speechless to spot what you’ve done with this raffle,” Coughlin said. “Over the years, this installation has raised much than $1.2 million, and it remains 1 of the biggest Sun Santa donors. We are genuinely grateful for each the families that volition get assistance due to the fact that of the donations that travel from the radical present who springiness their hearts and psyche to the community.”
Last year, the lawsuit was hosted remotely via YouTube. This year, unit and members of the wide nationalist erstwhile again crowded into the auditorium to witnesser the raffle of baskets that ranged successful worth from $400 to $4,000, and featured items of cash, Lottery tickets, acquisition cards, abrogation packages, exertion products and nutrient and portion selections.
As helium has done successful past years, White emceed the drawing.
“It’s an grant and a pleasance to beryllium here,” helium told the audience. “This infirmary prides itself connected putting radical first, and that is demonstrated present today. Thirty departments donated goods worthy $15,000 for these 23 baskets.”
Some staffers from the Cancer Center, which donated the “Pizza! Pizza!” basket, valued astatine $775, and included a fire-and-stone baked pizza oven by Ooni, on with pizza-making supplies, eagerly waited to spot if their summons would beryllium picked.
Nicole Sievert, a Tyngsboro autochthonal who present lives successful New Hampshire, is simply a signifier manager successful the halfway who has participated successful past raffles.
“I bid this year, of course,” she said. “I’ve won a handbasket successful the past, and my ma won once. Each year, a antithetic section wrong the Cancer Center volition travel up with the handbasket taxable and products. This year, it was the radiation oncology team.”
Her signifier supervisor, Lisa Rosado, of Tewksbury, besides bid, and said that she was “hoping to win.”
Even Santa Claus, besides known arsenic Paul Beausoleil, of Dracut, said helium was “ringing successful the season,” and had bid connected respective baskets.
White offered a moving commentary during the drafting calling retired the enactment of the departments that contributed baskets.
The Pharmacy Department donated the “Cozy Christmas” handbasket with a handknit broad and a Yankee Candle. White said the section was a 24/7 operation, moving the floors for diligent medicines and an in-house retail pharmacy.
“Our pharmacists are satellite class,” helium said.
Other baskets had titles specified arsenic “Bake the World a Better Place,” from the Finance Department, which White said helium hoped meant goodies and not “cooking the hospital’s books,” to assemblage laughter.
The “Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktail” handbasket was valued astatine $1,600 worthy of premier portion mixers and supplies. TeamWalk Manger Andrea Jackson, who held the raffle drafting bags for White, joked that everyone was going to spell to the winner’s location aft the event.
The festive temper continued with White drafting the victor of the “Million Dollar Tree,” donated by the Supply Chain department. The handbasket featured $240 worthy of scratch tickets. White said the half-billion-dollar fund infirmary depends connected the section keeping the proviso concatenation moving smoothly for the patients and staff.
Basket No. 23 was undeniably the astir popular, with Jackson holding a ample reddish container from which White drew the sole summons for “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Gametime,” donated by the Technology and IT departments. It featured what White described as, “Xbox S bid thing oregon other,” to chuckles, among different gadgets.
All jokes and amusive aside, said White, the handbasket raffle is simply a “time erstwhile the infirmary stands with our community, putting the radical of Lowell archetypal during Christmas. From the bottommost of my heart, convey you to each who made and bid connected baskets.”
At the extremity of the drawing, nary 1 successful the assemblage had won — attendance wasn’t mandatory to triumph — but Rosado said she wasn’t excessively disappointed due to the fact that “all the wealth goes to a bully cause,” and that made her vacation bright.
Here are immoderate different upcoming Sun Santa events:
Dec. 11
• The Polish American Veterans of Lowell and its Ladies Auxiliary volition big their 14th Annual Christmas Party to payment Sun Santa astatine the Polish National Home/Dom Polski, 10 Coburn St., Lowell, from 1 to 5 p.m. This year, the lawsuit is being held successful grant of Robert “Bob” Jaracz. The time volition diagnostic raffles, music, nutrient and a sojourn from Santa. $5 requested donation, children nether property 5 admitted escaped of charge.
Dec. 15
• The folks of Westford Remembers/Team Forever Young volition big their yearly Dining for a Cause lawsuit astatine Evviva Trattoria successful Westford from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The lawsuit includes acquisition handbasket raffles. A information of the meal and raffle proceeds benefits Sun Santa.
Dec. 17
• State Rep. Jim Arciero, D-Westford, volition big his yearly lawsuit astatine the Littleton Police headquarters, 500 Great Road, from 10 a.m. to noon. Attendees are asked to bring a cheque made retired to The Sun Santa Fund and/or a new, unwrapped artifact for Toys for Tots.
• Lowell Mayor Sokhary Chau volition big his Third Annual Holiday Drive & Drop lawsuit astatine the Lowell Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell, 657 Middlesex St., Lowell, from noon to 2 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring a cheque for The Sun Santa Fund and/or a new, unwrapped artifact for section children.
Secure online donations tin beryllium made at lowellsun.com/sun-santa or by message to The Sun Santa Fund, P.O. Box 2439, Lowell, MA 01851.
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