Bethell’s Annual Light & Love ceremony well attended

As of December 1, $136,000 had been raised for Bethell Hospice from event

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Caledon community gathered last Thursday to remember people they loved.

On November 30, Bethell Hospice hosted its annual Light & Love tree lighting ceremony.

Every year, people make donations to Bethell Hospice for the ceremony in memory of someone they love. At the ceremony, the names of each person someone donated in memory of are read.

As of December 1, over $136,000 had been raised for Bethell Hospice through the event.

The event began in the parking lot of the Inglewood Community Centre, where attendees gathered and listened to the Mayfield Secondary School choir. There were holiday treats and hot drinks available for guests. Each attendee got a battery-powered candle and then followed the choir in a procession to Bethell Hospice next door, where the tree lighting and name reading began.

Stan Cameron, who has been a Bethell Hospice volunteer for many years, led attendees in the reading of the names, inviting the crowd to repeat each name after him. He said being the one to read the names is an honour and a big responsibility. Each year, he spends many hours practicing reading each name to make sure he pronounces it correctly.

Donations to the Light & Love campaign are still open and can be made online at bethellhospicelightandlove.ca.