Remembrance Tree Ceremony 2023

QUICK FACTS:

This year’s ceremony will be in person for the first time since 2019.

When: Sunday, December 3, 2 PM

Where: EKU Perkins Building, 4436 Kit Carson Drive, Richmond, KY 40475

Why: Whether your loss was recent or not, the holidays are a time when those we’ve lost are especially missed.

Who: All are welcome to participate, regardless of whether we cared for your loved one.

What does the ceremony involve? The Remembrance Tree memorial ceremony includes the reading of memorial names, placing of memorial ornaments on the Remembrance Tree as names are read, a memorial slideshow, special music, selected readings, and a light reception.

HOW DO I PARTICIPATE?

Request your ornament(s) by November 30 to have your loved one’s name read in alphabetical order during the ceremony. If you request your ornament after Nov. 30, your loved one’s name will still be read aloud, but it will come at the end of the reading of names.

Optional Memorial Slideshow: Deadline Nov. 30. To include a picture of your loved one in the slideshow, please submit a digital copy of the picture, along with their full name, to development@hospicecp.org no later than Nov. 30.

Claim your memorial ornament(s) after the ceremony.  You will find directions, dates, and times on our secure Remembrance Tree site.

Remembrance Tree Ceremony 2023

For decades, the Remembrance Tree Ceremony has been a chance for the community to remember loved ones during the holiday season.

The Remembrance Tree Ceremony is set for Sunday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. at EKU’s Perkins Building, 4436 Kit Carson Drive in Richmond.

The ceremony will include special readings, musical selections performed by local musicians, a memorial photo slideshow, and the reading of your loved ones’ names. This year features Berea’s much-loved Union Church Handbell Ensemble.

Anyone who misses a loved one during the holidays is welcome to participate, regardless of whether your loved one was cared for by our hospice.

“Holidays can be hard for people who’ve lost loved ones, even when those losses aren’t recent,” says Abby Embry, our grief support coordinator. “At a time of year when their absence is felt so strongly, the Remembrance Tree Ceremony is a way to acknowledge that absence and honor their loved one’s memory.”

When you make a donation of any size, an ornament is personalized for your loved one and made available to place on the Remembrance Tree during the ceremony.

Guests place their ornaments on the Remembrance Tree when they hear their loved one’s name.  If no one is present to place the ornament on the tree, a hospice staff member will do so.

There will be light refreshments after the ceremony provided by Hospice Care Plus staff and volunteers.

Guests are encouraged to take their memorial ornament home with them after the ceremony on Dec. 3. If you are unable to attend this year’s event, stop by our Compassionate Care Center (350 Isaacs Lane, Richmond, KY) Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and pick up your ornament from the Remembrance Tree, which will be displayed there until the end of the holiday season.

For more information about the event or updates, follow the Remembrance Tree Ceremony Facebook Event Page.

Hospice Care Plus was founded as a non-profit organization to support the quality of life of its communities through hospice, palliative, and grief support care programs. The organization serves Estill, Jackson, Lee, Madison, Owsley and Rockcastle counties and owns and operates the Compassionate Care Center in Richmond. Relying on contributions from individuals and groups, all care is provided regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Make a gift, explore career and volunteer opportunities, or call 859-986-1500 to learn more.