Christmas Gift Extravaganza for a Good Cause at Essentia Health

DULUTH, Minn. — The holidays are fast approaching, and now you can prepare for a good cause at Essentia.

The Duluth Area Volunteer Service Organization is hosting a Christmas Gift Extravaganza. It kicked off Thursday and will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. There is Christmas decor, stocking stuffers, and other gifts for sale. Various hospital departments have also donated raffle baskets. The raffle will be drawn Friday at 1 p.m. You do not need to be present to win. All proceeds will go towards St. Mary’s NICU and birthplace donor milk bank.

“It’s a perfect gift to give the newborn intensive care, it’s a perfect gift to give to the families that come that we serve in the newborn intensive care. And also, the program I should say also benefits the patients in the birthplace as well. To have it funded by the community of Essentia and the volunteers and the staff themselves and the public that come here and the community that are passing by is a real gift for us. It helps us to feel like we are part of the community, and the community knows about us and that they can in a way give back to people who have cared for their infants,” said Micah Alton, Nurse Manager for NICU/Pediatrics.

Sometimes when babies are delivered preterm, the mother is not producing enough milk to meet their baby’s needs. The milk bank provides those babies with nutrient rich milk that’s easier for tiny tummies to digest. However, donor milk has to be tested and treated which can be costly. Proceeds from this event go toward lowering those costs.