A Madison hospital hits a very important milestone this year.

St. Mary's turns 100 this year. And to celebrate they're going sky high.

St. Mary's first opened it's doors on September 22, 1912. Since then, they've helped hundreds of thousand of patients. It's a proud past that has set up a promising future.

A helicopter landing on top of St. Mary's hospital in downtown Madison usually means there's a cause for concern.

But this past Wednesday, it was cause for celebration. The chopper is a part of their 100 year birthday party.

“We've been around for 100 years and we're really proud of it,” said Steve Sparks, public relations and marketing director

We're sending up NBC 15 photographer Mark Schilling to show you what they're doing. Hundreds of employees, volunteers, and even some patients gathered in the hospital garden.

“It's an amazing show of support with the community, nurses, doctors,”

Donned in red t-shirts, the crew formed a “100”. The two zeros are in the shape of a heart.

“Through 100 years, think of how many lives we've saved,”

Christina Butteris is an emergency services technician. She says the people of St. Mary's are close.

“Work is my other family,” she said “I've been here 10 years and I love coming to work everyday,”

“I work over in the power plant slash engineering department,”

Mike Gibneski was born at St. Mary's and grew up in Madison he says 100 years is a rare milestone.

“Nobody that works here will ever be around to see another one

The gathering in the garden lasted just 15 minutes, but what they've accomplished at St. Mary's over the last century will last forever.

“This is just another way we can physically show how we are all together working towards one mission and proud of where we've been and proud of where we are going in the future,”