'Tree of Lights': A holiday tradition for 30 years
November 14, 2018
NOTE: The Tree of Lights Ceremony has been rescheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec 11. This article has been updated.
STOCKTON -- One of the region’s most poignant holiday traditions will mark 30 years in December, as Hospice of San Joaquin presents the Tree of Lights Ceremony at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11 at Delta College.
The ceremony gives families a chance to remember and honor loved ones by dedicating a light on the massive evergreen, which stands near the Pacific Avenue entrance to the Delta campus.
The tree will light up the darkness through the end of December, giving all who pass by something to smile about.
The public is invited to Tuesday’s free ceremony. In addition to the tree lighting itself, music will be provided by the Delta Singers chamber choir under the direction of Bruce Southard. Representatives of Delta College and Hospice of San Joaquin will speak, along with partner agency Pacific Gas and Electric Co., whose volunteers work hard each year to string the 70-foot tree with 1,600 lights and 3,000 feet of garland.
Dick Ennis, a retired PG&E employee and Stockton resident, will have the honor of flipping the switch and turning on the lights this year. He will also share his own Hospice story.
Sophia Rubino, a first-grade student at Annunciation School, will be recognized for designing the cover of the program.
By dedicating a light in memory of a loved one, the public helps Hospice of San Joaquin provide services for terminally ill patients and their families. To dedicate a light, or for details about any of Hospice’s other upcoming Tree of Lights events in communities across the region, visit hospicesj.org or call (209) 957-3888.