Loved ones' memories honored in hospice tree lighting ceremony in Stockton
The Hospice of San Joaquin is lighting up Christmas trees throughout the county to remember family members who've passed away and honor their lives.
'Tis the season for so many people who gathered on Tuesday to honor their loved one with the first tree lighting ceremony in Stockton.
Each light represents a name: a loved one, a father, a mother, or a family member. For Chris, who's lived in Stockton her whole life and only wanted to be identified by her first name, it represents her son, Gregory, who died at the young age of 25.
"He had a great smile," Chris said. "He was just so fun to be with, and so he was always there to help. He was good at drawing. He drew really well and knew how to actually put electronic stuff together. So I miss that. I wish, 'Oh, gosh, Greg, how do I do this?' "
Chris was able to find support with other moms who lost their sons, including a friend who joined her on Tuesday, with the hospice's grieving groups. For Chris, there's hope amid the grieving.
"To believe in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to know that this life is so short but our eternal life is forever, and that part is just wonderful," Chris said. "I just hope everyone can find it in their hearts to believe that there really is a Jesus."
What helped Chris and her friend is what the county's largest hospice is hoping to raise more than $300,000 for: their bereavement program.
Sandy Stoddard, the marketing director of Hospice of San Joaquin, said it costs $1.8 million a year to run the hospice house, so their biggest fundraising event honoring loved ones is "critical" for them.
"It's a very special occasion for us," said acting CEO Dede Brooks, whose grandmother was under the hospice's care. "I think it brings out the holiday spirit for everybody in thinking about loved ones that they have lost and it's a gathering of everybody that has ever been touched by hospice."
People can purchase a light for a minimum of $5, and volunteers from Pacific Gas & Electric will ensure their loved one's light is lit up.
"My grandma's on here, my grandfather's on here," Danny Winchester, Pacific Gas & Electric volunteer, said. "I got aunts and uncles on here, my mom's on here. So, a lot of family members."
For Beth Wayne, she was honoring her precious mother, Gretchen Smith.
"She was a wonderful lady…her spirit, she was always happy and loved to do her crafts. It means a lot in honoring her," Wayne said.
Norma Gonzalez said it was a great honor to be at this event, remembering her father, Brigido Gonzalez.
"Really sad memories, when you see the lights on the tree, it brought lots of memories because he passed away on December 25 on Christmas Day (1in 984)," she said. "He was awesome, he was a very caring person, he was taking care of everybody, and after he passed, everything changed, so he's still here, in my heart."
It's their 37th annual Tree of Lights fundraiser, and if you'd like to honor your loved one, you can still buy a light through the end of December and they'll ensure your loved one's name makes it on the board.
They're also hosting more tree lighting ceremonies throughout the county in the coming weeks:
- 12/1 Ripon at 6 pm Veteran's Memorial Wall
- 12/2 Escalon at 5:30 pm Main St. Park
- 12/3 Manteca at 5:30 pm Doctors Hospital of Manteca
- 12/4 Lodi at 5:30 pm City Hall
- 12/6 Rio Vista at 5:30 pm Main Street
- 12/6 Lockeford at 5:30 pm Hwy 88 & E Jack Tone Rd
- 12/9 Tracy at 5:30 pm City Hall