Families honour lost loved ones in Light Up the Night event
On Thursday evening, St. Joseph’s Hospice of London hosted ‘Light up the Night’ in-person for the first time since last year’s event was virtual due to COVID-19.
Dozens gathered at the event outside the building, where people enjoyed live music from local artists including Brent Jackso and Sarina Haggarty, sipped on hot drinks and wrote messages to their loved ones who have passed.
“Sometimes the holidays are a difficult time for people so it really is about bringing everyone together,” said Colleen Harris, director and chief development officer with St. Joseph’s. “Let's just lean on people and make it a little brighter this Christmas season.”
The event, presented by Lerners Lawyers, allowed people to purchase a lantern, put a family member’s name on a bag that holds the lantern, along with a personal message inside to commemorate a loved one they’ve lost.
The donations collected from the lanterns will help cover the cost of care for patients at St. Joseph’s, said Janet Groen, the executive director.
“This year we sold over 300 lanterns which will be lit in honour of someone,” said Harris.
Their goal was to raise $50,000 this year. As of Thursday night, they had managed to collect $42,000 in donations.
“It's important for us to continue these services not only here within our residence but within the community, because we offer many services in London,” Harris concluded.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.