EKRH Christmas Door Decorating Contest a Close Call

Submitted by EKFH on 24-12-2013

Cranbrook, BC … It is the first of its kind at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital but after witnessing the overwhelming creativity and participation by 26 departments in the hospital, the Christmas Door Decorating Contest may become an annual event.

As December rolled in Erica Phillips and Christine Shumka, part of the leadership team at EKRH, put out a challenge to all departments to consider sharing the holiday spirit and asked them to participate in a decorated door contest. The rules were pretty simple make it fun, festive or a theme of your choice but to be entered each group was encouraged to make a food donation for the Cranbrook Food Bank.

What happened next was truly a holiday hospital makeover with unique doors appearing all over the four floors of the hospital. There were doors laden with the outpouring of festive ideas from snowmen to Christmas trees, Santa to the Grinch, fireplaces and more.

The response was so amazing that to be fair to all departments involved Erica and Chris had to find some outside judging help from Marilyn Christensen and Kelly Beriault.

So on December 20 the posse of judges walked merrily through the hallways basing their scores on creativity, theme, involvement, visual impact and after a lot chuckles and a few bribes the scores were tallied. Without a word of a lie the judges had a difficult time selecting a winner from all the outstanding entries. In the end, winning only by a 1 point score difference was the team from the Health Records department who turned their entire department into a winter wonderland including an entry filled door covered in a holiday candy theme.

The Health Records team narrowly aced out the EKRH Logistics team whose five panel moving delivery door played host to a fireplace trimmed with stockings even when it was opened or closed.

However, the best part of the story is not just the spirit of all those who took part it is about their gift in giving back to the Cranbrook Food Bank. Together the Interior Health staff holiday party and the door decorating contest donated over 750 lbs of food for the local organization.

No matter how you celebrate the holidays may it be a healthy and happy one for you and yours.

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