December 22, 2015
The Santa Project is an annual event held at this time of year with the goal of bringing joy to patients and their families who spend the Christmas season in the hospital by sharing music and Christmas cards. On the day of the event, music groups perform in the main entrance hall and on the wards, students from the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care dressed in Santa Claus costumes distribute handmade Christmas cards, and for patients unable to leave their rooms, they also visit to perform.
This year, 56 students from eight Keio University music groups and 40 students from the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care participated. The music groups performed not only Christmas songs like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," but also familiar songs that everyone knows, such as "Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana" and "Hanamizuki."
We received comments such as "Thank you" and "I was so moved" from the patients and their families who came to listen to the music. Participating students shared their thoughts, with one saying, "I was happy when patients spoke to me," and another, "I'm glad I participated." A student from the Santa Project executive committee, who worked behind the scenes, also commented, "The preparations were tough, but seeing the joy on the faces of the patients and their families, and watching the participating students have fun, made me very happy." We were reminded once again that this is a wonderful project that brings emotion and joy to all the students involved, whether they were performing or preparing.
Next year, the Santa Project will celebrate its 20th anniversary. We will strive to make the 20th Santa Project just as wonderful. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the hospital staff who supported us and, above all, to everyone who came to listen to our performance. Merry Christmas!