Smoky River Palliative Care Society’s 2008-09 Light Up a Memory fundraiser was officially launched on Nov. 3. The fundraiser, which helps to raised timely funds for the benefit of terminally ill patients at Sacred Heart Healthcare Centre runs until Jan. 5, 2009.

Smoky River Palliative Care Society’s 2008-’09 Light Up a Memory fundraiser is taking on a new and improved look this year. This year’s campaign, which focuses on raising timely funding and awareness to support the purchase of necessary equipment, resource materials, supplies and furniture for terminally ill patients, will see festive holiday cards in memory of a loved one placed on a Christmas tree located inside Sacred Heart Community Healthcare Centre. “We just felt that placing a Christmas tree inside the hospital would add to the overall prominence of the campaign,” says society secretary Aline Houle. The change will see a nine-foot tall artificial Christmas tree erected in the main entranceway at the hospital as a visual reminder to the public about the importance of the campaign. Houle says the tree will be decorated and lit up during a special dedication ceremony taking place on the afternoon of Nov. 12 at 3 p.m., adding the society’s familiar main light display will remain set up outside the entrance. “We just thought it would be much easier placing cards on a tree inside the hospital as opposed to contending with the cold and snow each time we need to add a light to our outdoor display,” Houle explains. The official launch of the Light Up a Memory fundraiser kicked off Nov. 3 with placement of several donation boxes at the hospital and area churches/businesses. Each donation of $10 or more by residents goes towards a Christmas card which will be placed on the tree. “We’re hoping to have 300 or more cards on the tree,” says Houle, adding the society is optimistic about the chances of surpassing its 2006 fundraising total of approximately $4,400. “The support we’ve received from the public in previous years has been absolutely incredible and we hope that trend continues.” The 2006 campaign resulted in 330 lights being lit up in memory of loved ones in the region. That total is up from the previous campaign in 2004 which saw $2,990 raised and 275 lights lit up. Houle says the fundraiser is a great way to promote and preserve the memory of a loved one while supporting a good cause, which benefits acute and home care patients. “A lot of people directly benefit from the rooms and resources we have in place at the hospital,” says Houle, adding the goal of the Light Up a Memory fundraiser is to make the last days of life for terminally ill patients as comfortable as possible. The society’s broad base of informative resource materials such as care notes, are available to patients at a display area in the out-patient are of the hospital. The care notes cover a wide range of relevant topics, including aging, illness, and the difficult grieving process which follows when dealing with the loss of a loved one. This year’s campaign runs until Jan. 5, 2009. For more information about the Smoky River Palliative Care Society, phone Houle at 837-8039 or chair Irene Brassard at 324-2172.