The Balladeer Children’s Program had a busy holiday season! Included was one of the most heartwarming events the program does — the Balladeers Give Back event, which provides gifts for patients at Niswonger Children’s Hospital.
The Balladeer program, a free benefit for Ballad Health employees, is intended to strengthen family bonds and relationships among our Ballad Health family. Activities include visits to area attractions, picnics in local parks, holiday celebrations and activities, sports activities, discount tickets for attractions or events, treats, take-home projects and much more.
Here’s what the Balladeers have been up to lately and what they’ve got coming up.
November/December events
November
Balladeers Give Back event
- We hosted this event at Johnson City Medical Center on Nov. 8; Balladeer families came together and created 75 items that were donated as gifts for patients at Niswonger Children’s Hospital.
- Balladeer children (52 total) and their families create personalized stuffed animals, custom fleece blankets and custom IV bag covers. Each item had an Instax photo of the Balladeer child attached, so each patient could see who made the item for them.
- Families mentioned that this event was one of their favorites because it gave their children the chance to give back to our community in a way that is so meaningful. One parent shared that her own daughter had been a recipient of a no-sew blanket when she was in the children’s hospital (as a baby) and still has the blanket today as a 16-year-old. This event was also one of our most well-attended events, showing that our Balladeer members love doing meaningful work both on and off the clock.
- Children who participated in this event also got to create a hat for themselves at our Balladeer hat bar, which had hundreds of patches they could choose from to add to make their custom hat.
Barter Players Present “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”
- We hosted two performances of “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” by the Barter Players, presented at the Renaissance Center in Kingsport. The show had a runtime of 50 minutes with no intermission
- Families got to enjoy this show in November as a way to kick off the holiday season! More than 230 people attended between the two performances
DECEMBER
Balladeer Jingle and Mingle Event
- Our annual event was held on Dec. 13 this year at MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center in Kingsport. We had more than 900 attendees at this event, the largest turnout in the event’s history! Families were able to enjoy a full buffet along with special homemade treats provided by Flour-ish Cakery.
- We also had holiday games, crafts, face painting and a present station. Each child was able to pick out a gift from over 30 different options. Santa was there and families were able to meet with him and take pictures!
- A new addition this year was our Pet Therapy Station! Volunteers with pet therapy brought their four-legged friends to the event, and the children loved meeting them and getting to learn more about this service.
- A special thank you to the following volunteers who helped us make this event a success: John Carr, Allison Tillman, Michelle Lemly, Ed Branson, Lori English, Rhonda Reeves, Paola Cisneros, Sandy Cisneros, Theresa Huff, Tara Lange, Sarah Nave, Jennifer Johnson
Event photos
Give Back event
Barter Players
Jingle and Mingle
Upcoming events
- Jan. 18 – Balladeer Movie Day (Bristol), 2 p.m.
- Space is limited and first-come, first-served; an email with registration information will be sent. Registration is required.
- Jan. 24 and Jan. 29 – ETSU men’s basketball games
- Limited quantity of tickets available; winners will be drawn at random
- Jan. 25 – Balladeer Movie Days (Greeneville and Johnson City), 2 p.m.
- Space is limited and first-come, first-served; an email with registration information will be sent. Registration is required.
- Jan. 30 and Feb. 1 – ETSU women’s basketball games
- Limited quantity of tickets available; winners will be drawn at random
- Jan. 31 and Feb. 4 – UVA-Wise basketball games
- Limited quantity of tickets available; winners will be drawn at random
- Feb. 7 – TriCities Brick Universe Lego Fan Expo, Abingdon
- Limited quantity of tickets available; winners will be drawn at random. A sign-up will be sent via email.
- Feb. 27 – Balladeer Just Jump Nights (Johnson City and Bristol), 8-10 p.m.
- Space is limited and first-come, first-served; an email with registration information will be sent three weeks prior to event. Registration is required.
- March 1 – Balladeer Fun Day at The Factory Adventure (Greeneville), 2-5 p.m.
- Space is limited and first-come, first-served; an email with registration information will be sent three weeks prior to event. Registration is required.
- March 14-15, 21-22, 28-29 – “Charlotte’s Web” performances, Bristol
- Limited quantity of tickets available for each performance; winners will be drawn at random. A sign-up will be sent at least three weeks in advance.
- March 29 – Tiebreakers
- Space is limited; an email with registration information will be sent three weeks prior to event. Registration is required.
Reminders
- Event information for 2026 is being added constantly to our Balladeer calendar on our homepage. Check there often to see what’s coming up! *NOTE: This link is only accessible from a Ballad Health device.
- We are seeking feedback so we can work to improve the Balladeer Children’s Program! If you are a member of the Balladeer Children’s Program, please click the link below to fill out the 2026 Parent Survey. This survey is anonymous and will remain open through Jan. 23.
- The Balladeer Children’s Program is working to add new businesses to our discount list in 2026! Please access the discount list on our Balladeer homepage to see our current discount offerings. If you have suggestions for other businesses that may be interested in partnering with us, please email us and let us know.
About the Balladeer Children’s Program
While enrolling in the Balladeer Children’s Program is free, there is a cost associated with some of the activities.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Balladeer Children’s Program is for Ballad Health direct hires who have children between the ages 3-18 years old living in their household. They MUST live with you to qualify for the program.
- Here’s an FAQ about eligibility for the Balladeer Children’s Program, posted to the Balladeer site on the Ballad Health intranet.
- Click here to access the program enrollment form.
- Check out the updated Balladeer Children’s Program site on the Ballad Health intranet.
Once you’re enrolled, please remember that you must register for any Balladeer event you wish to attend. Registration and information are sent via email at least two weeks prior to an event. If you aren’t receiving Balladeer emails, please reach out to Shawna DeHart at shawna.gragg@balladhealth.org.
