It might have been cold, but that didn’t keep colleagues and kids away from showing off their costumes at La Porte Hospital’s very first Trunk or Treat. Associates lined up their decked-out trunks in the recently finished parking lot in front of the construction site of the brand new La Porte Hospital. Balloon animals, games, food, hot chocolate, and even a mini haunted house were all a part of the Trunk or Treat debut.
La Porte Hospital, Starke Hospital, La Porte Physician Network, and other La Porte Hospital entities were invited to join in on the fun. Anetra Jones, Chief Nursing Officer and trunk decorator, was most excited to see all of the costumes and her colleagues come together for a friendly competition.
“We’re here to serve our colleagues and their families, we wanted them to come out, have a good time, and be safe,” Jones said. “Everyone got excited about doing this for families and their children, it’s a great way to get involved with one another and support each other.”
For La Porte Hospital, it’s all about both the surrounding community and the community within the Hospital and other workplaces. Karen Jedrysek, HR Director, simply wanted to provide a fun event for coworkers outside of the stress of work.
“We’re just happy to provide a really good time for our employees,” Jedrysek said. “We wanted to give people an environment where we can spend time with each other and our families outside of work.”
Before this year, the Trunk or Treat location had a house and a building planted on it. Construction began on the new La Porte Hospital in August of 2018 and is set to open late next year. CEO, Ashley Dickinson, wanted to have the Trunk or Treat at this location so staff can see how far construction has come and begin to get a feel for how beautiful it’s going to be.
“We are just so excited to be able to do the Trunk or treat for the first time this year, and it’s just one way we get to do something with our colleagues outside of the four walls of the hospital,” Dickinson said. “It serves as a de-stressor for the entire family, so we’re so excited to host this for our colleagues.”
As kids went from trunk to trunk gathering candy and viewing the array of Halloween themes, Director of Noninvasive Cardiology, Doug Hynek, was keeper of the parking lot. While ensuring unwanted traffic stayed out, he loved seeing the kids dressed up and having fun.
“It’s awesome seeing colleagues come out and enjoy themselves,” Hynek said. “Being with La Porte for over nineteen years says something, they’re always jumping in to help serve the community and community service is always a plus for us.”
