ROCHESTER, Minn- The holidays are all about giving back, especially for Mayo Clinic's Department of Surgery. On Friday and Saturday, they teamed up with Boys & Girls Club of Rochester to give gifts to families with children in the organization.

"Were so grateful for the opportunity to help," said Dr. Michael Kendrick, the Chair of Mayo Clinic's Department of Surgery. "This has been such a difficult year for so many people and as healthcare providers, we've spent the last nine months caring for patients. We wanted the community to know how much we care about them as well, especially those who have had significant hardships in other ways."

Both Mayo Clinic and Boys & Girls Club teamed up in 2019 to give back to families during the holidays.  This year, the department was extra thoughtful. In addition to donations, they used personal funds normally used for a staff holiday gathering to make a difference.

"We were able to each take a family and go out and shop for them knowing their ages and the gender of their children," explained Dr. Kendrick.
The organization provided 33 families and over 95 people total with presents. They range from Legos, pots, pans, and beauty shop gift cards.

"There's a lot of folks in our community who are facing a lot of barriers of various kinds," said Chad Campbell, the CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Rochester. "Some families have a hard time making ends meet to begin with let alone provide presents and entertainment for kids during the holiday season."

Gifts were also distributed contactless to spread cheer.