October 29, 2004

Genesis "Remembrance Tree" Will Focus Public Attention On Hospice Care

Davenport, IA - What promises to be the tallest lighted holiday tree in the Quad Cities this year will serve as a focal point for area residents to remember their friends and relatives who have passed away. Next month, Genesis -- the Quad Cities' locally managed health care leader celebrating ten years of service to the community -- will erect a "Remembrance Tree" in Davenport's LeClaire Park, officials announced today. The special memorial tree also is intended to heighten public awareness on the growing need for hospice care services that ease the final transition for terminally ill patients and their families.

For more than a dozen years, Genesis has brought "in home" hospice care to thousands of Quad City and Clinton County families through its VNA organizations. In August, Genesis announced it would launch a feasibility study to assess public support for the construction of a free-standing hospice house to care for those whose unique circumstances make "in-home" hospice care impossible or impractical.

The tree was donated by a local property owner and will be among the tallest lighted trees in the region. "We want the Quad City tree to be as majestic as its purpose and easily viewed from both sides of the river," said Ken Croken, Genesis Vice President of Corporate Communications. The precise height will only be known once it is finally erected in LeClaire Park at the foot of Harrison St., but according to Mr. Croken, it will be approximately 65 feet.

Tree-lighting dedication
The Remembrance Tree will be illuminated on Thursday, Nov. 18 at a 5:15 p.m. The lighting will be the culmination of a public celebration in LeClaire Park in Davenport, featuring a string quartet from the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and The Westbrook Singers, a locally based gospel group. The pre-lighting festivities will begin at 4:30 p.m. Genesis and local elected officials, including Davenport Mayor Charlie Brooke, will host the "lighting," which will immediately precede the Quad City Arts-sponsored "Festival of Trees" activities at the RiverCenter. Led by Doug Davis, Vice President of Griggs Music in Davenport, area high school brass ensembles will provide holiday musical accompaniment along the route between the Remembrance Tree and the RiverCenter.

Mayor Brooke applauded Genesis on the announcement: "Once again, Genesis has demonstrated its community leadership. The Genesis Remembrance Tree lighting ceremony will be another great opportunity for everyone in the Quad Cities to come together and kick-off the holiday season." In conjunction with the other holiday festivities, DavenportOne will coordinate a special downtown city merchant "Open House" with extended shopping hours from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.

Decorating plans for the tree include approximately 25,000 lights. "If they choose to do so, we want everyone in the Quad Cities to have an opportunity to dedicate a light in the name of a loved one they want to remember in a special way this holiday season," Mr. Croken said. Individual "light" sponsors are invited to make a donation in any amount in the name of a loved one, and all such donations will benefit Genesis hospice care services.

A book of names
In conjunction with the tree project, Genesis also will maintain a "Book of Names" throughout the holiday season. Anyone who wishes to inscribe a name of a loved one in the book can do so in-person the night of the tree lighting or online anytime. All names will be read aloud from the tree beginning at noon, on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2005. Once all names are read -- no matter how long that takes -- the lights of the tree will be extinguished.

Chaplain Becky David, Genesis Manager of Spiritual Care, explains the holiday season can be difficult for the many people who grieve for a loved one. "Generally, the year-end holidays are considered the season of joy by many faiths and many people. Perhaps that makes the season all the more difficult for people whose hearts still ache for those who have died," she said. "We hope the Remembrance Tree will create an opportunity for people to say 'I remember' in a positive way, and celebrate the lives and love of those we miss most during the holidays."

Deborah Stafford, a Genesis Health System Board Member who heads the Genesis Hospice House Community Task Force, hopes the Genesis Remembrance Tree will increase community awareness and support of the growing need for hospice services. Recent census data shows that more than 10 percent of all Quad City-area households have someone over age 65 who may eventually require hospice care.