HELENA — For more than 60 years babies born in December at St. Peter’s Health have gone home in a handmade stocking.
On Monday, around 30 volunteers helped to continue that tradition by stitching and gluing more than 100 festive stockings for St.Peter’s Health patients and babies.
Organizer Nan Cervenka said the St. Peter’s holiday stockings a fun staple of the community.
“I helped hand out the socks last year and people are so appreciative,” said Cervenka. “Last year we had a mom help decorate who had a Christmas Eve baby the year before.”
Volunteer Hazel Greenwood brought home her own little stocking stuffer from St. Peter’s one Christmas.
“38 years ago Christmas Day I had a baby and we brought him home in a Christmas stocking,” said Greenwood. “I still have the stocking and I show it to him every year.”
The materials for the stockings were provided by the St. Peter’s Health Association.
The volunteers also make stockings that are then filled with goodies for patients that need to spend their Christmas at the hospital.
Arlene Mathews, a former St. Peter’s Nurse, started the sock sew in 1953 in her basement with only about 30 socks made that year. Mathews still volunteers for the annual event.
St. Peter’s is anticipating around 80 babies to be born in the hospital this December.
