John Flowers’ Elves Visit MidHudson Regional Hospital, Provide Holiday Gifts For Patients

John Flowers' Elves Visit MidHudson Regional Hospital, Provide Holiday Gifts For Patients

12/22/2015

Keeping alive a holiday tradition that began over 20 years ago, John Flowers' "Elves" – a dedicated group of community volunteers who deliver gifts and visit area hospitals and nursing homes each December – stopped by MidHudson Regional Hospital on Tuesday, December 22 with presents for over 100 patients.  While children from a local choir sang holiday songs, the wrapped gifts were ceremoniously delivered in The Atrium lobby to nurses and other caretakers who would later distribute them throughout the floors.

It was wonderful to see these volunteers again," said Paul Hochenberg, Executive Director of MidHudson Regional Hospital.  "Their acts of kindness let our patients, especially those without family close by, feel the holiday spirit.  On behalf of everyone at MidHudson Regional and throughout the community, I extend a heartfelt thanks to Frank Flowers and all of the people who made our patients smile. "

Frank Flowers, the son of the late community leader John Flowers, led this year's gift-giving tradition with the help of over 200 volunteers.  It was the first year that John, who passed away in August, did not participate.

"There was never a question that we wouldn't continue what my dad started," Frank Flowers said.  "This has gotten too big, and it's too good.  We couldn't stop.  In fact, I think we're all striving to do a little bit more this year to keep my father's legacy alive."

The Flowers family tradition began in 1991 when Frank and others were visiting his aunt, John's sister, in the hospital just before Christmas.  The group noticed that the woman in the next room was alone, and returned the next day with presents and company for her.

"We saw immediately how happy it made her, and my father was inspired," Frank Flowers said.  "We've been doing it ever since, and it's just been getting bigger and bigger.  I hear all the time how the our visits and our gifts change people's whole holidays."