ONEIDA — The Oneida Health Auxiliary is again celebrating the holiday season with its annual Light a Light campaign, a festive fundraising outreach to benefit patients and staff at both the hospital and its Extended Care Facility.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the auxiliary is offering a heartfelt way to honor and show appreciation for a loved one or anyone who has brightened the donor’s life, said auxiliary President Marty Mallery.

“The Light a Light program allows you to say ‘thank you’ and ‘I remember,’” Mallery said. “This program is a great way to honor and recognize not only our loved ones, but those essential workers including healthcare providers, police and firefighters, teachers, and those who work each day to keep us safe and help meet our needs.”

All honorees will be listed in the Light a Light Book of Honor on display in the ECF lobby as well as on a rolling electronic display in the lobby of the hospital. Lights on the tree in front of the hospital will represent the loved ones being remembered and honored, Mallery said.

With a gift of $100 or more, the honoree’s name will be displayed on the LED signs in front of the hospital along Route 5. A card will be sent to the honorees notifying them of the gift, at the donor’s request.

Donations will directly benefit the patients of Oneida Health and residents of the Extended Care Facility, Mallery said. Oneida Health department heads compose their own wishlists each January and the administration will send that list to the auxiliary to see what it would like to contribute towards each year.

The auxiliary generally gives between $15,000 to $20,000 worth of items to the hospital and ECF annually, Mallery said. In the past those gifts included chairs and wheelchairs, furniture, televisions and even a pool.

“We are here to help out the hospital and the ECF for expenses that aren’t included in the budget,” Mallery explained.

Extended Care Facility Administrator Fortunato Scerbo III said the auxiliary doesn’t just make financial donations to the residents there.

“They also bring a lot of life to the ECF with their volunteering,” he said. “They help with a lot of social activities so there is a big social-emotional aspect to what they are doing for the residents of the ECF.”

Oneida Health President and CEO Jonathan Schiller said the auxiliary adds their own point of view to the operations at the hospital.​​​​​​ The auxiliary brings a community perspective to the hospital in their support of the patients and the staff, Schiller explained.

They all really have a strong and supportive relationship, he said.

Membership dues for the Oneida Health Auxiliary are $10 a year. Volunteers can take part in as many activities as they would like, Mallery said, including sewing and knitting, fundraising, helping with the ECF Car Show and Strawberry Festival, assisting at health fairs and community outreach events and volunteering at the hospital and ECF.

The deadline for this year’s Light a Light campaign is Dec. 5. For more information on the Light a Light Campaign, including a donation form, or the auxiliary itself, call 315-361-2300, email info@oneidahealth.org or visit www.oneidahealth.org/giving/auxiliary.