Nurses at Athens-Limestone Hospital were surprised with gifts, games and more Thursday as part of the hospital’s celebration of National Nurses Day and an ongoing celebration of National Nurses Week.

An announcement went out across the hospital around 11 a.m., inviting nurses from all over the hospital campus to meet in the courtyard. They were greeted with karaoke, popcorn and even a chance at free prizes.

“We weren’t expecting all this,” said Jessica George, a registered nurse who’s worked at the hospital for five years.

ALH Chief Nursing Officer Max Tunstill said a lot of nurses don’t expect gifts or surprises for doing their job, but given how important their job is, setting up the celebration “is something I’m happy to be a part of.”

“They give so much and take such good care of patients,” he said.

Nurses weren’t celebrated only on Thursday, either. The hospital treated nursing staff to Rita’s Ice on Wednesday, Tunstill said, and another celebration of the hospital as a whole will be held next week to mark the hospital’s 70th anniversary and National Hospital Week.