Valley Baptist Medical Center – Brownsville Hosts a Community Christmas

BROWNSVILLE, December 20, 2007  –- Valley Baptist Medical Center – Brownsville is hosting a community Christmas and is inviting all Valley children, women, and men to join in on the fun!

Valley Baptist will host the open house event between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, December 20, 2007, at the Stillman Lobby, located at the main entrance of the hospital off Central Blvd. at W. Jefferson. The big celebration will kick-off with the arrival of Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus via a 25-passenger trolley. Christmas carols will ring throughout the main entrance hallway as the UTB/TSC Estudiantina, UTB/TSC Brownsville Guitar Trio, and the Hanna High School Jive will perform holiday favorites.

“Our Community Christmas is a wonderful way to welcome the festive season side-by-side with the community we serve,” said Leslie G. Bingham, Chief Executive Officer at Valley Baptist Medical Center – Brownsville. “This is an opportunity for the whole family to celebrate Christmas and the traditions we enjoy here in Brownsville.”

Valley Baptist’s Administration team will treat everyone to freshly-baked Christmas cookies, hot chocolate, and punch. And, every boy and girl that visits with Kris Kringle and the Mrs. will receive a specially decorated Christmas candy cane – courtesy of the Valley Baptist-Brownsville Auxiliary.

“We want to make sure that all of our young patients in the Children’s Center receive a Christmas treat,” said Gracie Vega, President of the Valley Baptist-Brownsville Auxiliary. “So, we are helping Mr. & Mrs. Santa take toys to the children, in the Pediatric Unit, shortly after the celebration. We want to make their stay in the hospital as close to being at home as we can.”

Valley Baptist’s Community Christmas will also feature story time. Valley Baptist Medical Center – Brownsville’s Chief Executive Officer, Leslie Bingham; Chief Financial Officer, Glen Boles; Chief Nursing Officer, Andrea Hayes; and Vice President of Human Resource Administration, Blake Hubbard, will gather the children next to the Valley Baptist Christmas Tree in the Stillman Lobby and read to them some of the old-time favorite Christmas stories.

Children will also be able to enjoy a free ride in Santa’s trolley, which is being donated for the community event by Vamonos Travel of Harlingen. The trolley will pick up children and their parents at the main entrance of the hospital and take them for a stroll through the campus parking lot. The short ride will showcase a 15-foot white lit Christmas tree atop the main entrance, oversized well-lit Christmas wreaths, and a number of other Christmas lights.

KGBT-TV will broadcast live from the event during Action 4 News at Five and Action 4 News at Six. Action 4 News Anchor, Marcy Martinez, will be on hand to invite the public to Valley Baptist Medical Center - Brownsville’s Community Christmas Celebration.

There is no charge for this event and everyone is welcome. For more information, please contact Manuel Chacon at 698-4059 orTeri Retana at (956) 389-1950.