December 22, 2005 Issue
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December 22, 2005 Issue
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About Us Chestnut Hill Local Webmaster Don't Miss an Issue, Tell us what you see or ©2005 Chestnut Hill Local
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Annual ‘Light Up A Life’ celebration held on the Hill
On Sunday, Dec. 4 at 4 p.m., Wissahickon Hospice held its annual “Light Up A Life” celebration in the Chestnut Hill Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library, followed by the tree lighting in Fountain Park Plaza. More than 100 people attended the event, despite the morning’s snow and the icy conditions that followed. The event included speakers, music, refreshments and the lighting of the Light Up A Life tree and Fountain Park Plaza. Each light on the tree is dedicated in honor or memory of loved ones and represents a financial contribution to Wissahickon Hospice’s Needy Patient Fund. The hospice has raised nearly $35,000 for the fund, which allows them to care for terminally ill patients who are uninsured and unable to pay for services. Money was raised through individual contributions and light dedications, the sale of advertisements in the event program books, and sponsorships. The 2005 Light Up A Life ceremonies were sponsored by Commerce Bank, Home Care Associates of Philadelphia, Dr. Vicki D. Lachman, National Penn Bank and the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Network. The ceremony was very much a Chestnut Hill event in that many residents helped to plan the ceremony, spoke at the event, or donated their services. Speakers at the event included Chestnut Hill residents Maxine Maddox Dornemann, president of the Chestnut Hill Association Board; event chair Dr. Vicki Lachman, Ph.D., APRN, associate professor at Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professionals; and Joan Doyle, executive director of Penn Home Care and Hospice Services. Several businesses that serve Chestnut Hill and the surrounding communities made donations to the event. Bustard’s Christmas Trees donated the tree, and David Landscape Services transported it to Fountain Park Plaza. Caruso’s Market donated cider for the reception following the ceremony, and Primex Garden Center, Laurel Hill Gardens and Springfield Greenery all donated decorations for the ceremony. As they do every year, John and Hope McGettigan provided the lights for the trees surrounding Fountain Park Plaza and decorated them. During the holiday season Wissahickon Hospice remembers patients, families and loved ones by lighting trees at Pennsylvania Hospital, Phoenixville Hospital and in Chestnut Hill. The lights shine brightly as symbols of hope and of the hospice’s commitment to the care, comfort and support of terminally ill patients and their families. The names of people being memorialized and honored are displayed during the ceremonies and reception. This event was first held more than a decade ago at the top of Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill. In 2000, it was expanded to include ceremonies at Pennsylvania Hospital and in 2003 it was expanded once again to include a ceremony in Phoenixville. Wissahickon Hospice is part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Established in 1982, it is one of the oldest and largest hospice programs in the region and was the first Medicare-certified hospice in Pennsylvania. Serving Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware and Chester Counties in southeastern Pennsylvania, Wissahickon Hospice provides services to terminally ill adults and their families. Hospice and palliative care provide a way for patients to take control of their life and treatment, encouraging them to take an active role in the important medical and legal decisions that affect them and those around them. Wissahickon Hospice’s team of professionals and trained volunteers provides a wide range of support, allowing patients to live out their final months comfortably, in control, and with the dignity and respect they deserve. For more information about Wissahickon Hospice, please call 1-800-700-8807 or visit www.pennhealth.com/hospice. |
