Hospice switches on Tree of Light
The moving ceremony will be the highlight of an old fashioned carol evening.
EVERYONE is warmly invited to join South Coast Hospice at the carol evening and ceremony to mark the switching on of the Tree of Light.
Every year hospice erects a shimmering blue Tree of Light, an international hospice symbol, at the Southcoast Mall. A major hospice fund-raising project, the Tree of Light also gives people a chance to remember and celebrate the life of those who are no longer with us. For small donations they can light symbolic lamps on the tree in memory of their loved ones. People also light lamps to honour South Coast Hospice.
The switching on of the tree, always a moving ceremony, is the highlight of a heartwarming, old-fashioned family carol singing evening that South Coast Hospice always hosts. This year it takes place in a marquee next to the Tree of Light in the Southcoast Mall car park this Saturday, December 7, at 6pm for 6.30pm.
Former television presenter Scot Scott (of Skattejag fame) will be the compere and the event will open with a performance by the renowned South Coast Hospice Choir. The draws for the Christmas cake and Christmas hamper raffles will be done during the course of the evening. Candles will be available for a small donation and special electronic ‘candles’ will be on sale. Pledge forms will be available for anyone who wishes to donate to the Tree of Light fund that evening.
There will be plenty of communal singing of all the old favourite Christmas carols and songs and special performances by two talented local songbirds, Elaine Wareing and Liz Nair. Reverend Chad Broom of the Norwegian Settlers’ Church will perform the switch-on ceremony at 8pm, after which the Tree of Light will beam out its beautiful message of love and remembrance for the rest of the festive season. During this time donations to the Tree of Light fund will still be gratefully accepted.
As a prelude to the grand switch-on, hospice fund-raisers will man a table and organise all sorts of festive family fun at the Southcoast Mall this Saturday morning, December 7. Pledge forms will also be available then. Tickets are still on sale for the dolls house, which South Coast Hospice is raffling as part of the Tree of Light fund-raising campaign. There has been great support for this raffle. It will be drawn outside Ramsgate Stationers on Christmas Eve, December 24, at 3pm and the winner will be notified immediately. Perhaps some lucky little girl will receive it as a special gift on Christmas morning.
If you wish to light a symbolic lamp in memory of a loved one, obtain a pledge form from the Southcoast Mall Tree of Light table, the mall’s management office, from the South Coast Hospice office in Port Shepstone or by contacting 039 6823031.
