18th annual hospice Tree of Life Ceremony to be held

Staff, friends and supporters of the Fitzgibbon-Mary Montgomery Hospice will celebrate the 18th annual Tree of Life ceremony at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, in the atrium at Fitzgibbon Hospital, according to a news release from Fitzgibbon Hospital.

A Tree of Life ceremony will also be held at Big Bend Retreat in Slater at 3p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9.

People may wish to honor a loved one who has passed away or someone who is still living. Donations can be made to the hospice program and an ornament with the honoree's name is then provided to the donor for placement on the Tree of life, located in the hospital atrium.

Funds from the annual project are placed in a Hospice Memorial Fund and used to provide medicine and medical equipment for patients who cannot afford them. Funds may also be used to provide continuing education for team members or to meet equipment needs for the program.

Orders for ornaments will be accepted until to Wednesday, Dec. 23, and ornaments will be placed on the tree as time permits.

Members of the Fitzgibbon-Mary Montgomery hospice team include Roberta Griffitt, RN; Carol Henning, RN; Amy Johnson, RN; Dana Melies, LPN; Joyce Hollingsworth, LPN; Julie Noah, RN; Will Campbell, MSW-LCSW; Justin Cramer, MD, medical director; and Bob G. Stewart, hospice chaplain. Support staff members include Jacque Hoffman, Jackie Mach, LPN, and several volunteers.

For more information about the Tree of Life contact Fitzgibbon-Mary Montgomery Hospice at 660-831-3293, or visit us on the web at www.fitzgibbon.org.