Christmas is the season of giving. We at Stonewater Roofing take that to heart, and nothing feels better than bringing a smile to a child’s face during the holiday season. That is why we partnered up with UT Health East Texas to spread cheer to children who are spending this Christmas in the hospital.

“When it comes to the holidays, it’s important for us to be able to look back at the past year and reflect on all the blessings that we’ve received as a company,” said Stonewater Roofing’s chief marketing officer Trent Spradlin, “and also to focus on where we can give back to the people that have helped make our success possible, which is our community.”

Stonewater Roofing employees went on a shopping spree at Target, walking out with bundles of toys and gifts for kids who will be in the UT Health East Texas pediatric ward when Santa comes to visit. Spradlin was joined by Stonewater Roofing’s human resources and safety director Delano Guevara, along with operations director Dianna Gregg.

The company also handed out more than $1,000 worth of gift cards to the parents of newborn babies at the hospital.

“It’s just so nice to see patients who are here, just to see the smile on their face,” added UT Health East Texas communications director Allison Pollan. “To see that they’re getting a gift card, that’s going to buy a lot of diapers for some of these new parents. Or we have a father who has six kiddos. That’s going to buy them Christmas presents. He’s been in the hospital for several days with his son and probably has not had a lot of time to do that, so to see his face and his whole demeanor change was very meaningful.”

But the day was particularly meaningful for Gregg. Her mother died in a car crash during the 2002 holiday season. “I was in the hospital. I was the kid,” she recalled. “I had to spend Christmas in the hospital and they gave me a toy, a stuffed animal from a random stranger. I still have that stuffed animal to this day.”

That is why it was important for Gregg to be at UT Health East Texas this year, to hand out toys to kids in similar situations. “It was time to pay it forward, what happened to me 17 years ago,” she said.

“It’s always very important to us to have local businesses, community members who are willing to give back, especially at the holidays,” explained Pollan. “Not many people want to be in the hospital over the Christmas holidays but, for those who are, to have something to brighten their day is very important.”