Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Towering above the main entrance to the Lennox and Addington County General Hospital stands the Tribute Tree.
An LACGH tradition since 2008, the tree’s branches are adorned with an angel or snowflake that displays the name of a loved one or friend. They can be made either in tribute of someone who has passed or simply as a gift.
For a minimum donation of $10, the hospital will add a decoration to the tree. As the season wears on, the branches become full of the names of people from the community whose legacy is carried on through a generous gift from their friends or family.
“We don’t have the foot traffic coming into the hospital like we usually have but the community has stepped up to the plate,” said LACGH Foundation executive director Michelle Dickerson. “We’re receiving a lot of donations.”
For many families visiting the Tribute Tree is part of their holiday tradition. Unfortunately due to increased safety measures surrounding COVID-19, families will be unable to drop by to see the tree in person.
“Because people can’t come in we’re happy to take a picture of it and email it to them,” said Dickerson. “What we’ve found in the past is families, when they would come home for the holidays, they would bring them in to look at the ornament.”
Dickerson says in previous years the Tribute Tree brings in about $25,000 to the hospital, which is used to purchase life-saving medical equipment. The challenges of 2020 have meant the hospital’s budget is stretched even more than usual.
“The hospital has many asks right now,” added Dickerson.
To arrange to have an ornament added to the tree, visit https://lacghfoundation.com/. Those that make a donation online will be emailed a tax credit. To call the Foundation office, dial 613-354-3301 ext. 400 or email foundation@lacgh.napanee.on.ca.