NorthBay Departments Adopt 62 Classrooms for Holidays

Santa Claus waited patiently in the hallway of Fairview Elementary School in Fairfield Dec. 18, while Megan Hanson’s kindergarten class of Room 6 grew more and more excited. Then, on cue, Santa made his grand entrance, to cheers and applause.

It was all part of NorthBay Healthcare’s Adopt-a-School Project, in which employees and departments volunteer to bring a little holiday cheer to students at two local, low-income schools.

Every classroom at Fairview Elementary in Fairfield and Padan Elementary in Vacaville—62 in all—were recipients of NorthBay’s holiday generosity.

Each November, NorthBay asks the teachers to submit their “wish lists” for classroom parties. The lists usually include school supplies, games, balls, and books along with a pizza party or hot chocolate and cookies. The wish lists are posted on NorthBay Healthcare’s Intranet for departments to review and select their classes.

According to NorthBay Executive Assistant Sylvia Spanos, 47 individuals or departments stepped forward to adopt individual classrooms. The remaining 15 were sponsored by NorthBay’s corporate office, with Spanos and Executive Assistant Debbie Hooks, the head elves and coordinators of the project who spent hours shopping, wrapping, organizing and delivering the goods.

“It’s so amazing how much they bring,” said Megan Hanson of Fairview, whose kindergarten classroom donned paper Santa caps for the party. “These kids are always so grateful.”

“We had a blast again this year,” reports Janice Colomb, senior systems analyst at NorthBay. “And we got back so much more than we delivered.

The parties happened between Dec.16–18 at both schools, with NorthBay Santas dropping in with all the fixings for the festivities.

“I’m proud of our staff for stepping up and making a difference during the holiday season for students at these schools,” said Gary Passama, president/CEO of NorthBay Healthcare. “They do a tremendous job.”

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