•November 8, 2023•

Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Foundation’s Holiday Festival returns November 10 to 13 with an Online Auction full of items sure to help with your holiday shopping.

This year’s auction features a wide variety of decorated 4-foot trees, home décor, handmade treasures, coupons for fresh greens and more. With this year’s Holiday Festival falling on Veterans Day weekend, there is also a common ‘Americana’ theme in some of the packages.

Among the many wonderful gifts available, including several American flags, one package honors current military members and veterans from all branches. SBL’s Clinical Education/Employee & Organizational Development (EOD) departments created an “All-American Christmas” package to commemorate current military members and veterans, and recognize them for their service.

Lindsey Truex, RN, clinical instructor, said she and her coworkers have friends and family members who have served in the military. In addition, SBL EOD Director Lorenzo Smith is a veteran himself. “We wanted to highlight all military members and veterans for their selflessness and their dedication to our country,” Truex said. The Festival’s Online Auction runs November 10 through the 13, and although it wasn’t planned, Truex said she is thrilled that her team’s theme coincides with Veterans Day, November 11.

The 4-foot Christmas tree is beautifully decorated and features glass-blown ornaments that honor each branch of the military. The entire package includes a wide variety of items that compliment the holiday season well. An advent calendar includes 25 activities and many of the items needed to complete them. The activities include making cookies and making cards for veterans, to name a few. Also included in the package: a cooler with tumblers; hats that light up; a wicker basket full of blankets; various wines; apple cider; candies and much more.

Decorating the Christmas tree and putting together the gift package was fun for the staff. “It’s extremely exciting for us to do this,” Truex said. “There were a lot of smiles, a lot of laughs and a lot of glitter.”

While it’s fun to create a package for the Holiday Festival, the employees also enjoy supporting a great cause. Proceeds from the 2023 SBL Holiday Festival will support SBL Behavioral Health Services by helping provide emergent needs for the uninsured, resources for providers to use in therapy, assistance with the substance abuse crisis in the region, and funding school assemblies to address mental health needs of area youth.

Truex has helped create a Holiday Festival package the past four years, and she is proud to support a worthy cause. “Giving back to the community is a passion of mine,” she said. “I always strive to make a difference for others.”

The Holiday Festival Online Auction opens at 8 am on Friday, November 10, and runs through 8 pm, Monday, November 13. It features approximately 80 items designed by Sarah Bush Lincoln employees, area residents and businesses, including a wide variety of home décor and holiday items, handmade wooden trees, fresh greens from Hager Tree Farm and much more.

To register and participate, visit https://www.sarahbush.org/holidayfestival/. Early registration is encouraged to receive important announcements and updates. For more information, contact the SBL Health Foundation at 217-258-2511.