The Hospice Foundation will light the Tree of Life in the Veterans Memorial Plaza during the Lights on Celebration on Saturday. The annual tree lighting serves as a memorial and as a fundraiser for the nonprofit that supports hospice care in San Benito and Monterey counties.
This year, the Hospice Foundation was not able to hold its own tree lighting ceremony in San Benito County so they decided to use the Lights On Celebration as an opportunity to light up the tree.
On Tuesday morning, volunteers from Don Chapin Company and Redmond Transportation put the frame of the tree up in the plaza at the Veterans Memorial Building on San Benito Street. Shortly after 9 a.m., they were finishing up with stringing the lights along the frame.
Redmond Transportation volunteers served as the project leader and stored the structure for the tree. Lee’s Forklift Services provided transportation from the storage site to the Veterans Memorial Plaza. Don Chapin provided a crane to lift the frame of the tree into place and the City of Hollister Parks Department provided a bucket truck to facilitate the set-up and stringing of the lights. Enterprise Electric will provide electrical services.
“It takes about two and a half hours to put the tree up if everyone is on time and everyone was today,” a volunteer said.
The tree frame can hold up to 48 strings of holiday lights, but this year the tree will hold 24.
“We so appreciate the assistance of these companies to help us install a tree so that all the community can continue to enjoy it,” said Alice Kinslder, the president and CEO of Hospice Foundation. “Since we are no longer doing a formal lighting of the Tree of Life, it just wouldn’t happen otherwise. This is a great partnership to ensure the residents of Hollister and beyond can continue with this wonderful holiday tradition.”
Throughout the season, residents can make a donation to the Hospice Foundation and name a light in honor or in memory of someone.
The Hospice Foundation provided funding to 11 nonprofits that provide hospice and end-of-life care, including agencies in San Benito County. They announced $1.1 million in total grants to their programs last month, with a sum of $20 million given locally in Hospice Foundation’s 15 years.
Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital received $55,395 for its specialized end-of-life care and support services.
Other agencies to receive funding, some of which provide services in San Benito County, included:
• Central Coast Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice – $250,000
In-home end-of-life care and support services for adults.
• Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services – $75,000
• Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition-Partnership for Children Program – $50,000
• Coastal Kids Home Care – $100,000
With this funding, these agencies work together to care for critically ill and dying children at home with nursing care, pain and symptom control, and emotional, practical and grief support for their families.
• Central Coast HIV/AIDS Services – $40,000
Emotional care at the end of life for persons with AIDS, and their families or caregivers.
• Compassionate Care Alliance – $40,000
Educational sessions for physicians, other health care providers, and local residents about the end of life.
• Catholic Charities – $20,000
Grief counseling sessions for low-income residents of Monterey County.
• Natividad Medical Foundation – $20,000
Produce multi-media information about end-of-life care for patients and families at Natividad Medical Center.
• Hospice of Santa Cruz County – $25,000
In-home hospice patient care and bereavement services for residents in North Monterey County and ongoing support for local veterans through through We Honor Veterans outreach program.
Upcoming tree lighting ceremonies:
Dec. 2 in King City, with holiday music celebration beginning at 5 p.m. in King City High School Auditorium, proceed to retail center to watch lighting atop Rabobank.
Dec. 10 in Salinas, atop National Steinbeck Center, One Main Street, 5:30 p.m.
Dec. 13 in Monterey, atop Monterey Marriott with lighting celebration at Monterey Conference Center, 5:30 p.m.
Info and dedications at www.HospiceGiving.org.
