Tree of Life raises money for hospice in San Benito
Every light on the Tree of Life shines in remembrance of a lost
loved and it stands outside the Veterans Memorial Building as a
beacon for those who have been touched by hospice care. The tree of
life, which was lit up on Dec. 12, is a representation of donations
made to the Hospice Foundation for hospice and end-of-life care in
San Benito County.
Tree of Life raises money for hospice in San Benito
Every light on the Tree of Life shines in remembrance of a lost loved and it stands outside the Veterans Memorial Building as a beacon for those who have been touched by hospice care. The tree of life, which was lit up on Dec. 12, is a representation of donations made to the Hospice Foundation for hospice and end-of-life care in San Benito County.
“I think it’s a wonderful thing and a wonderful memorial – a kind of coming together,” said speaker Laurel Rowe, about the ceremony.
Along with several speakers, girl scouts and brownies dressed in Christmas outfits and the sheriff’s office staff present to post the colors, the audience was serenaded with holiday songs by the Oriana Chorale.
The annual lighting celebration is put on by the Hospice Foundation to raise money for hospice and end-of-life care. People donate lights in honor of a loved one they lost, some of which receive hospice care.
“Every light on the tree has been named in someone’s honor or in remembrance,” said Jennifer Pettley, the director of communications for the Hospice Foundation. “It’s not just about those involved in hospice care, it’s anyone.”
She added that the names of the individuals to whom lights were dedicated go into The Commemorative Lights Book of Names. The book, which features this year’s donations, will be available to the public at the San Benito Bank branch on Tres Pinos Road.
Rowe’s father was taken care of by the palliative care program at Hazel Hawkins.
“They were wonderful,” she said. “They helped us through a hard time. They offered a lot of support and helped us through a lot of emotions that were difficult to process.”
Rowe and her family have all donated to the program and asked that when her father passed away, donations be made to the Hospice Foundation in his honor.
She said that the program is a wonderful service and they understand what emotions people are going through.
“You always wonder if there’s other things that you could be doing and they really help you through that,” Rowe said.
The foundation is a fundraising and grant writing organization that runs the Trees of Life celebrations. This is “one of many projects the Hospice Foundation uses throughout the year to raise money for these programs,” Pettley said.
Tree lighting ceremonies were held throughout the central coast region in the past two weeks. In addition to the Hollister event, the foundation staff ran the tree lighting ceremonies in Salinas on Dec. 11, in King City on Dec. 14 and the final ceremony in Monterey on Dec. 16. Pettley said that 4,500 lights were donated between the four trees.
Hospitals such as Hazel Hawkins are directly impacted by the donations from the Tree of Life. The Hospice Foundation helped Hazel Hawkins start its palliative care center and recently awarded the hospital a $40,000 grant for that center. Pettley said the “funds raised in San Benito County stay in San Benito County and go towards local services.”
She added these donations have a “direct impact on services.”
Pettley stressed the importance of this event for people that have used end-of-life services and the community.
“Trees of Life is a wonderful community celebration,” Pettley said. “It’s a poignant celebration to honor and remember people who have had an impact on our lives and particularly important to remember that impact during the holidays.”
To donate:
Although the Trees of Life tree lighting ceremonies have concluded, donations can still be made. Light donations will be accepted through the end of December. Contact the Hospice Foundation at 333-9023 or visit their Web site at www.hffcc.org and follow the links to dedicate a light.
