By Staff
To the editor:
On behalf of Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan, I would like to thank everyone who participated in the Trees of Honor and Remembrance in 2008.
For many families, purchasing a bow to honor or remember a loved one has become a holiday tradition; seeing these names year after year is very meaningful.
This year, Dowagiac's Tree of Honor and Remembrance raised an amazing $1,170.
We are grateful to Dowagiac Credit Union, Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, The Hairitage and The Marshall Shoppe for selling bows and to the families that purchased them.
We had another successful year because of your continued support.
Many thanks to John Eby of the Dowagiac Daily News for printing the names of honorees each week and providing extensive coverage of the event.
We are also thankful to the Dowagiac Parks and Grounds Department for maintaining and storing our sign each year and to the Dowagiac Electric Department for placement of bows on the top of the tree each year.
Your assistance with this fundraiser is priceless.
Proceeds from this event help insure that Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan can continue to serve all in need of hospice care regardless of their financial circumstances.
Community support also enables us to offer a grief support program that goes beyond monthly groups and workshops and includes individual grief counseling sessions for our clients' families for up to 13 months after their loved one's death.
Our tree of names will be printed in the Jan. 9 edition of the Leader.
Thank you again for your generous support of our agency.
Community Relations Coordinator
Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan