Three GraVoc employees donned Santa hats and red sweaters on Christmas morning and joined nearly 70 volunteers visiting patients at Boston-area hospitals as part of Santa’s Magic, a long-standing non-profit. GraVoc’s Director of Media Production Brian Gravel first heard about Santa’s Magic through his contacts at Energi, a GraVoc customer. Jim Nentwig, Managing Director at Energi, started Santa’s Magic in 1983 when his wife Elizabeth was dying of cancer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Wishing to brighten what would be his wife’s final Christmas, Jim arranged for Santa to visit the hospital and offer gifts to Elizabeth and several other patients. Jim and his sons continued the tradition in Elizabeth’s honor the following year, and since then Santa’s Magic has grown into a nonprofit organization that distributes gifts, flowers, toys, and holiday cheer to patients and their families at Brigham and Women’s, the Chelsea’s Soldier Home, and the VA Medical Center in Boston.
Upon hearing about Santa’s Magic and the opportunity to bring some joy to patients, veterans, and their families, Brian and his girlfriend Bridget Carvill, along with Dave and Cathy Gravel, volunteered their services on Christmas morning. The group visited patients at the VA Medical Center and found the experience to be extremely rewarding, as they were able to share in the holiday spirit. For more information on Santa’s Magic or to find out how to get involved, please visit www.santasmagic.org.