Brightening the Holiday Season With Memories
Join us for a gathering of remembrance at the Tree of Life ceremony this holiday season on Thursday, November 16, at 6:30 pm at the Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Glenwood. Glacial Ridge Hospice’s annual Tree of Life ceremony to honor and remember loved ones includes music, candle lighting, and a reception.
The Tree of Life has roots in the community, reaching back almost 30 years. The event offers a time and place to honor and remember loved ones. The ceremony evolved from two Glacial Ridge Hospice ceremonies; one was the Remembrance Tree—a large, lighted Christmas tree in front of Glacial Ridge Hospital. Those remembered, with a $5 donation to Hospice, were represented with the lights, and their names were posted on a wooden Christmas tree cutout in the hospital lobby. That tree eventually became known as the “Tree of Lights.” Another Hospice ceremony, the annual candle-lighting memorial service, was traditionally held each spring. The two traditions were combined over 15 years ago, and the new ceremony was named “Tree of Life,” reflecting the healing nature of remembering the many influences loved ones had in their families’ lives and the world around them.
The ceremony includes musical performances by local talent and a message from a Glacial Ridge Hospice representative. During the candle-lighting ceremony, the names of loved ones are read, and family members are invited to step forward to light candles in their honor. See link to form below.
The event is open to the public, and you do not need to RSVP your attendance. We hope you can join us.
To Donate
Thank you for considering Glacial Ridge Hospice in your giving. If you wish to donate to Glacial Ridge Hospice by honoring or memorializing someone at the event, please call 320.634.2221 or download and return this donation form by mail. All donations received go directly for services and care to our hospice patients and their families in our community.
