Making wishes come true one Christmas at a time

Christmas wishes will come true this year for close to 200 children from 60 local families thanks to North Big Horn Hospital’s annual Share-a-Stocking program. NBHH has sponsored the program, which was started by former nurse and hospital board trustee Ruthann Holzer, for more than 25 years. 

Hospital marketing and foundation coordinator Janet Koritnik has made it her mission for the last 20 years to make sure no needy child in the community is left out during the Christmas gift-giving season.

Here’s how the program works. Community members and organizations are presented with the opportunity to donate gifts anonymously to needy children for the Christmas holiday through two special Share-a-Stocking trees located in the lobby areas of the hospital and the clinic. The trees are decorated with paper stockings. Each stocking contains a wish list for a child, along with information about the child’s age and clothing sizes. Community members are invited to remove a stocking, purchase the gifts listed on the stocking and return the stocking along with wrapped gifts to Koritnik at North Big Horn Hospital by December 11 to ensure delivery to the recipients by Christmas.

“This is a heartwarming program, where a lot of people do a little bit and every little bit combined brings big results,” explained Koritnik. “Many, many people are involved.”

The program serves children throughout the hospital district, which includes Lovell, Cowley, Byron, Deaver and Frannie. Donors can also contribute to a special fund used to fulfill any stockings left on the trees beyond the deadline. Koritnik said she’s even seen adults, who were once recipients as children, participate as donors to the cause.

“It’s a lesson in kindness,” she said.

Individuals and businesses can opt to fulfill the wishes of a single child, whole family or group. Koritnik noted that First Bank of Wyoming in Lovell has already committed to 30 stockings, but many stockings are still available. She said she coordinates with the Toys-for-Tots program to make sure the combined donations go to those in need.

“We try to help people who need it most,” she said.

Koritnik said the children are entered in the program mostly through referrals from schools, local agencies, friends and even occasionally through law enforcement. 

As part of a long-standing commitment, the Lovell Police Department delivers many of the gifts in Lovell. A date will be set for families to pick up the remaining gifts directly at the hospital. Koritnik said she expects that date to be on or around December 15.