Remembrance Tree: Loved ones ‘are always with us’

The giant tree sparkled with hundreds of blue and white lights during a ceremony Monday night, Nov. 6, in Bettendorf. As the tree came to life with those many lights, it also sparked memories of loved ones who have passed away this year. “This starts the holidays right. …. It shows they (loved ones who […]

The giant tree sparkled with hundreds of blue and white lights during a ceremony Monday night, Nov. 6, in Bettendorf. As the tree came to life with those many lights, it also sparked memories of loved ones who have passed away this year.

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“This starts the holidays right. …. It shows they (loved ones who have passed away) are always with us,” Jamie Moen, Genesis Home and Community Services director, said before the 2023 Genesis Hospice Remembrance Tree-Lighting ceremony. That event, which attracted more than 100 people, took place outside the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House at 2546 Tech Drive.  For nearly two decades, the tree-lighting has been a community tradition to usher in the holiday season and celebrate the memories of loved ones who have passed. The event also illuminates the continuing need for access to quality hospice in the region. “The Genesis Hospice Remembrance Tree shines a light on the legacy of those patients who have received our care, and we hope it provides comfort to many,” said Ms. Moen in a news release. “The tree-lighting is a positive way to honor those who have passed and who we will miss over the holidays.” During Monday’s ceremony, Genesis officials also pointed out the tree will remain lit over the holiday season so people can enjoy it and be inspired by it as they drive by the area. “This is really an important event for people,” said Sara Hodgini, executive director of the Genesis Foundation. She added that another important aspect of the Genesis Hospice Remembrance Tree is that it serves as a fundraising event to help hospice services. Since 2004, the Remembrance Trees have honored more than 7,000 individuals and raised more than $100,000 for hospice care services.  Also, Genesis Hospice is partnering with Isabel Bloom to create a limited edition ornament for the 2023 Remembrance Tree lighting. The ornament sale helps support Genesis Hospice services and provides loved ones a way to adorn their own tree with loving thoughts of those they wish to always remember. Ornaments also can be pre-ordered at www.remembrance.givesmart.com. In addition, the ceremony featured hot chocolate and cookies for the standing-room-only crowd. Many in that crowd said they were thankful this year’s weather featured mild conditions. It was still above 60 degrees when the ceremony began. At least one man wore shorts and several were in short-sleeved shirts during the event. (Last year’s ceremony featured near-freezing temperatures.) This year’s 25-minute tree-lighting ceremony also featured prayers, poems, a ceremony to honor veterans, and songs by the Quad City Singers, including an emotional singing of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” to conclude the ceremony. Dr. Steve Sorensen, medical director of Genesis Hospice, added to the emotion of the event when he told the crowd that the tree is a wonderful way to honor the growing number of friends and family members who have passed away this year. “That list grows every year. This year, I lost my father,” he added. The sponsors of this year’s ceremony included American Bank & Trust Co., McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home, The Summit of Bettendorf, Trimble Funeral Home and Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home. Volunteers at the event included Genesis Hospice workers, Genesis grounds crew, the Quad City Singers and local high school students.