Celebrating Hospice—The Inside Scoop!
For the 7th year in a row, we rallied our communities to join us for our annual hospice fundraising celebrations across North Dakota in Fargo, Dickinson, Bismarck, and Grand Forks. Initially started in 2013 with humble beginnings in Fargo, our hospice fundraising efforts now involve hundreds of volunteers, dozens of organizations, and thousands of community members across the state. We are amazed by the support we receive year after year and it just keeps on growing!
Hospice organizations provide important services to our communities by offering end-of-life care for terminally ill patients and support for their families. Donations and community support play a large part to ensure that hospice organizations have the resources they need, which is why it’s important to us that 100% of all fundraising proceeds go back to the organizations we partner with.
This year we kicked off the festivities at the Go Hawaiian for Hospice celebration in Fargo in support of Hospice of the Red River Valley—the place where it all started. Volunteers were up and ready with the rising sun to help set up and decorate. And by the time the clock hit 11:00, guests were greeted with live music and the tantalizing aromas of a delicious luau-styled lunch.
A couple of weeks later we exchanged our leis for a pair of boots and cowboy hats to support CHI Health at Home—Home Health & Hospice at our Hoedown for Hospice in Dickinson. This year we had special help serving out food and YUM froyo ice cream from the Badlands Big Sticks. You guys rock!
And returning to center stage after a killer performance last year, the Burning Hills Singers from the Medora Musical threw down some great tunes throughout the rest of the afternoon.
Over in Grand Forks—not quite ready to give up our red, white and blue spirit after the 4th of July—Heroes for Hospice was in full swing for its second year. Local law enforcement heroes including firemen, policemen, and paramedics were all invited to help us support Altru’s Hospice and highlight their service to the community. Did we mention they brought a helicopter this time around?
As the summer winded down, we closed out the final hospice celebration in Bismarck for the Sanford Health Foundation in luau fashion once again. This year the memorial wall was dedicated in memory of hospice patient, Lyle Warner. Everyone was invited to celebrate the memories of their own loved ones by adding their names to the wall.
By the end of our final fundraising celebration, a total of $183,903 was raised for hospice in 2019! From throwing it down at a hoedown to putting on our best red, white, and blue for local heroes to ushering in beach vibes with a luau-styled feast—we were able to bring our communities together to create positive change. Together, we took another step forward in bettering the places we live.
Bettering the places we live is one of our core values. We’re dedicated to enhancing the quality of life and economic viability of families and businesses in our communities. Learn about our People First history here.