Hospice tree lighting tradition returns to Lodi, Lockeford this holiday season

Nov. 15—Hospice of San Joaquin is celebrating 35 years of honoring loved ones who have passed with its annual Tree of Lights event this month.

The nonprofit's first tree to be lit will be in Stockton at the corner of Pacific and Yokuts avenues at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 21.

Lodi's will be lit on Nov. 30 at 5:30 p.m. just prior to the start of the city's Parade of Lights in Downtown Lodi. It will be the 30th year a tree has been lit at Lodi City Hall, located at 221 W. Pine St.

Trees in Lockeford and Rio Vista will both be lit on Dec. 2 at 5:30 p.m. The Lockeford ceremony will take place at the Wells Fargo Bank, located at 19000 Highway 88, and the Rio Vista ceremony will be in front of city hall at 1 Main St.

Other cities celebrating with a Tree of Lights are Ripon, Escalon and Tracy.

"Our trees are 'Trees of Life' honoring the gift of life," CEO Rebecca Burnett said. "Each tree brings light to the dark night, as do the memories of our loved ones whose light will shine throughout the holiday season."

There are some 1,544 lights on the the 80-foot tall Lodi tree, and each one represents the life of a loved one who has passed.

The Tree of Lights program has become a tradition for many families throughout the county, as it helps those left behind transition from grief and sorrow to remembrance and honoring.

Tree of Lights began in 1988 when Mark Rasmussen wanted to honor his late wife Kathy, who had received services from Hospice of San Joaquin.

Rasmussen was a PG&E employee who rallied coworkers to create the first Tree of Lights on the San Joaquin Delta College Campus at the corner of Pacific and Yokuts avenues in Stockton.

His coworker Dave Ayers created the memory boards that were displayed that first year. The memory boards display the names of the loved ones who have a light on the tree.

However, memory boards do not accompany all the trees that are erected.

Although Ayers has retired from PG&E, he continues to volunteer for the program and has even recruited his son and grandson to help each year.

In preparing for the program's 35th anniversary celebration, the Ayers family has been creating new donor boards.

They also install and take down the boards at all eight locations, and then store them for the following year.

"We are thankful to PG&E who has, from inception, provided employee volunteers and funded grants for tree set up and maintenance," Burnett said.

Donations for Tree of Lights are currently being accepted, and Hospice of San Joaquin will continue to accept them through the end of the year.

There are seven different lights residents can purchase to remember a loved one, ranging in price from $5 for a red light or $520 for an orange light. A treetop light can be purchased for about $1,000.

Donations will support Hospice of San Joaquin programs for terminally ill patients and their families.

Lights will be available for purchase during the ceremony, and you can purchase them online beforehand at www.hospicesj.org/events/tree-of-lights.