San Francisco ballerina Courtney Anderson visits with Andrew Terra, 6, of Turlock in the playroom at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Merry is Vicki Kleemann's middle name. Not really, but it should be.
Kleemann, director of Volunteer Services, heartily welcomed one and all, from seniors to the very small, to the annual holiday tree-trimming party at UCSF Medical Center.
For the seventh year in a row, Kleemann and her gleeful crew from Volunteer Services recently invited passersby into the hospital's main lobby to hang an ornament on the community tree.
Faculty, staff, students, patients and visitors alike briefly took a break from their daily duties, pausing to exchange greetings, give hugs and snack on sweets while sounds of Christmas carols played.
 |
Vicki Kleemann, director of Volunteer Services, hangs an ornament on the tree. |
Among those to enjoy this year's festivities were UCSF graduate student Janet Fermin and her 15-month-old daughter, Angela, as well as postdoctoral scholar Marina Pasca and her 20-month-old daughter, Sofia.
Actually, Angela was more interested in taking ornaments off the tree than the other way around.
Back by popular demand, preschool children from the Marilyn Reed Lucia Child Care Study Center, who donned elf hats that they created, sang three songs under the direction of their two teachers.
Also returning to the yearly yuletide event was San Francisco resident Laura Campbell, who donned a purple fairy costume to entertain the children. This year, she brought two of her family members, including her daughter, Bianca Futrell, and her granddaughter, Andora Futrell, representing three generations of purple fairies.
 |
Debbie Gin-Wong of Volunteer Services and Rosalinda Nevarez of Guest Services enjoy the festivities. |
Wearing wreath earrings, patient care assistant Anne Mulkerrin was all too pleased to pose with friend Sheldon Bakhsh, a fellow patient care assistant, after hanging an ornament. Mulkerrin summed it up well. "I'm really glad I came. This is fun. The kids are adorable."
Also bringing smiles and cheers to those gathered in the playroom at UCSF Children's Hospital were cast members of the San Francisco Ballet's
Nutcracker. They showed off a few of their graceful moves while telling an abbreviated version of the classic Christmas tale.
Later, the costume-clad dancers visited children in their hospital rooms and autographed posters of the
Nutcracker ballet show. See a
video of the merrymaking.
Tree-trimming photos/Elisabeth Fall
Video/Lisa Cisneros
 |
Twins Julia and Michline Parsa, who were born at UCSF Medical Center, get a treat. |
