Lights for Life: A Stellar Tradition
When Carolyn Johnson, Community Outreach Coordinator for Ashland Community Hospital, came up with the idea of a Lights For Life tree back in 1987, she couldn’t know how the annual campaign would prosper and become a cherished local tradition. Each year the special trees near the Ashland Public Library and Talent City Hall help ring in the holiday season. Right after Thanksgiving, the trees begin to glow with lights representing love, thanks and remembrance.
The trees are sponsored by the Ashland Community Hospital Foundation and contributions are used to support and enhance patient care. To keep pace with advancing technologies and provide patients with the best diagnostic and treatment services, the Hospital must continue to replace equipment, train staff and develop programs. Over the years, the Lights For Life campaign has helped fund such worthwhile projects as a mobile x-ray system, a state of the art digital mammography system, expansion of the Hospital’s Dietary Services Department and the purchase of hydraulic tools that complement Jackson County Fire District #5’s Jaws of Life extraction device.
Lights For Life began as a way to combine the spirit of the holidays with Ashland’s special sense of community. The trees are symbols that allow members of the community to remember someone special. Lights can be given in creative ways or to commemorate a variety of traditional events such as the birth of a baby, a special thank you to a neighbor, friend or colleague or in memory of a loved one.
The original Lights For Life tree, which was planted in 1994, had to be removed during construction at the intersection of Siskiyou Boulevard and East Main Street. The tree was moved to Ashland’s Mill Pond neighborhood, across from the National Guard Armory. A new tree has been planted in the original location, across from the Library, but until it is large enough to decorate, a tree-like structure is being used.
Several years ago the Foundation began to run full-page recognition ads in the Ashland Daily Tidings listing the name of every Lights For Life contributor. The original ads were the generous gift of Foundation Board Member, Jed Meese, who also originated the idea of publicly thanking donors. As a result, the campaign that netted $8,000 to $10,000 in its early years and raised $61,229 in 2008.
WHY WE GIVE
Nissa Roberts: "My mom was the HR Director at the hospital for over 20 years, so I just wanted to light a light in her memory. It is a nice program and it’s a neat way to honor people, especially those who have had such a strong connection with the hospital or the town"
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