HELENA — On Thursday, December 7, the St. Peter's Health Foundation celebrated its 30th annual “Light a Life" event.
“It’s really a memorial event for the community of Helena,” said Leslie Aldrich, the Bereavement and Volunteer Coordinator at St. Peter’s Hospice.
This event is a fundraiser for the care given by St. Peter’s Health Hospice, while also thanking staff and remembering family members.
During the event community members were able to leave their loved one’s name on a Christmas tree, look at the memory boards of family members we’ve lost and listen to music and guest speakers.
“Quiet event, reflective event. I think a lot of people just really cherish that time to come together with themselves, their family, their community members,” Aldrich said.
The main program included lighting four candles to symbolize grief, courage, memories, and love, a song about grief and how it lingers and ending with the lighting of the two rows of trees outside of the Helena Civic Center.
Those trees will stay lit throughout the holiday season.
The holiday season can be hard for anyone going through a loss in their life.
“It’s a time where change is really apparent for a lot of people,” said Aldrich.
Community members can symbolically purchase a light on the trees to honor a loved one.
Those funds are used to make care available to anyone in our community, regardless of their ability to pay.
They also help to train staff and volunteers on the best ways to provide compassionate end-of-life care.
