A unique project that brings joy to a Colorado children's hospital is back this winter-and the best thing about it are the strangers who pull on their boots so they can "Say Hi with a Snowman".

For the third year in a row, kids who are stuck in Children's Hospital Colorado can draw their version of 'a perfect snowman' and their artwork is matched with volunteers who bring the snowmen drawings to life.

The 2023 campaign opens today for families who want to participate and runs to the end of March, traditionally Colorado's snowiest month.

Families interested in building snowmen can sign up online. They will be paired with a patient and-after bringing the frosty design to life-they'll submit photos or video for the Children's Colorado team to share with the artists.

The initiative was launched in 2021 by the Denver hospital trying to cheer up young patients during the pandemic. Since then, around 200 families have created real-life snowmen and sent pictures, along with anecdotes and letters of encouragement.

The campaign's publicity team told WS that they've never had submissions originate from outside of Colorado-but with our global audience, that is likely to change.

Supporting the campaign this year is Generation Wild, an effort created with state lottery funding to reconnect kids with nature by increasing the amount of time they spend outside in unsupervised playtime.

"Our goal at Generation Wild is to get Colorado kids and families outside more often," said Jackie Miller. "This fun campaign not only encourages outdoor play for the whole family but sets the example that an act of kindness can go a long way."

It's also a positivity boost for hospital staff.

"We are thrilled to once again partner with Generation Wild to help make our patients smile and feel connected to support systems outside the hospital."

"This simple act brightens a patient's day and lowers the stress of being in the hospital, all while creating positive memories for families in the outdoors," adds Miller.

And, anyone can follow the fun by searching social media feeds, using the hashtag #SayHiWithaSnowman.

Generation Wild was formed by Great Outdoors Colorado, which invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state's parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces-and since voters approved its formation 1992, 'GOCO' has funded more than 5,600 projects in urban and rural areas in all 64 counties without any tax dollar support.

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