Why did you choose to donate to Rotary Hospice, and Lights of Love?

We learned how important Hospice care was, and the impact it can have on a community when our employee and close friend, Sam, was a resident there earlier this fall. After Sam passed, we were trying to figure out what to do, how to share the experience with the community, give back to the hospice -- to honour all the parts of the experience. We felt that families and businesses in a financial position to donate need to know about Hospice. If they see the impact, they'll understand the value of their contribution. We did. We do.

Why share your Hospice story?

Our age group doesn't know anything about hospice unless they've had an experience similar to ours. There's a belief hospice is expensive or complicated. It's neither. It's for everyone.
This age group, is, I'm hoping, helping shape the future of this community. From chatting more about hospice with our peer group, we realized they are aware of the hospice from maybe their grandparents’ experience. What they were asking us about was how much it cost, because their experience was just coming to visit.

What moved you most about your Hospice experience?

Hospice allows for more connection and love. Instead of trying to be a caregiver as well as a family member or friend, they can be the mom, the brother, the cousin, the friend. The worry of caregiving is gone and instead time can be spent sharing memories and tapping into the emotions of what's happening. It’s about getting the most out of that time together.