Nearly 400 friends and supporters of Bethell Hospice gathered in Inglewood on December 13 to light the Bethell Hospice trees in memory of their loved ones.
Guests were welcomed by Bethell Hospice volunteer, Gillian Vanderburgh. Members of the Orangeville Chorus led a candlelit procession to the front of Bethell Hospice, where the trees were lit by nurse, Connie McLellan, on behalf of the entire Bethell Hospice care team. Over 425 individuals were remembered with Light & Love gifts, and names of all those honoured were read by Master of Ceremonies, Stan Cameron, and repeated back by guests in communal response.
Since 2012, the Celebration of Light & Love has been a fixture of the holiday season at Bethell Hospice, with this year’s event being the largest and most successful to date. So far this year, the Celebration of Light & Love has raised over $125,000 in support of Bethell Hospice.
“Community support for this event has been absolutely overwhelming,” said Julie Hymers, Manager of Marketing & Communications for Bethell Hospice Foundation. “While we continue to receive gifts throughout the holiday season, we have never before had so many contribute by the time of our Tree Lighting evening, and join us to light the trees.”
With each Light & Love donation, Bethell Hospice Foundation illuminates lights on their trees. Each light on the trees represents a life – and memories that live on forever. While many of those remembered are individuals whose lives have been directly touched by Bethell Hospice, many members of the community also take the opportunity to remember special people in their lives with a gift to help others in their time of need. Each Light & Love gift makes a real difference, and helps to usher in the holiday season in a very meaningful way.
There is still time to add a light to the Bethell Hospice trees in memory of your loved one, and to add their name to the scroll of remembrance. Celebration of Light & Love gifts will be accepted online at foundation.bethellhospice.org, or by phone at 905-838-3534, until January 15, 2019.
All proceeds from the Celebration of Light & Love directly support Bethell Hospice programs and services, and ensure that care is always available at no cost to all in need. Bethell Hospice is the only residential hospice serving Caledon, Brampton and Dufferin County, and also provides Community Programs throughout Caledon and Brampton.
