This is the 19th year for the fundraiser project. Each year, the Trinity Gifts shop has angel ornaments available for purchase with a $10 minimum donation. The purchase can be made in memory of or in honor of a loved one. There will be a display board in the Trinity Regional Medical Center atrium lobby where the honorees’ names will be listed alphabetically by donor’s last name.

“For 19 years, we’ve been able to specifically fundraise for one particular project that we know is a need that isn’t necessarily in the annual budget,” said Roxie Flattery, Friends of UnityPoint board president. “It’s a significant amount of money, usually it’s $10,000 or more.”

This year, the fundraising will benefit the hospital’s new partnership with the Center for Neurosciences, Orthopaedic and Spine.

In past years, the project has supported endeavors such as purchasing a bariatric bed and new wheelchairs for the hospital. The board decides the recipient of the fundraiser based on needs that come up throughout the year, said Sara Hill, a member of the board.

“We’re trying to make sure we’re touching all types of patients and all different types of patient needs,” Flattery said.

For many families, purchasing one or more of the angels has become a holiday tradition, Flattery said.

While the board orders about 1,000 angels each year and the minimum donation is $10, many donors give much more money, while some give money, but decline taking an angel.

The Friends of UnityPoint has set a goal to sell out by the end of the holiday season, Flattery said.

Each year, a new angel is selected. This year’s ornament is all metal, has a bell and can either hang on a tree or stand on its own.

Angels will remain available at Trinity Gifts, located inside the hospital, until they are sold out. Gift shop hours are: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Next year, for the 20th annual Angels of Love fundraiser, the board asks that anyone who has participated in the tradition for each of the 20 years reach out to the hospital’s Volunteer Services to share their story by emailing kathy.moe@unitypoint.org.