Luminary Ceremony

The luminary ceremony takes place at dark. All of the names are read, both in Honor of and in Memory of. The bags are not placed on the track until shortly before the ceremony begins. At dusk, poems are read, special songs might be sung, or a cancer survivor gives an uplifting story. Shortly before all the stadium lights are turned off, candles are lit in each of the sand-filled bags. This past year, our event used the glow sticks which lasted longer. After all the names are read a moment of silence is taken for us to give thanks for all that has been done in cancer research and all that is soon to take place with eraditcating cancer from our lives. It is also a time of reflection to remember those whose names were read "In Memory of" and to be thankful for those who have survived this dreaded disease "In Honor of".

This past year, our hospital team also sold "Memories to Heaven", where you could purchase a blank note for $1.00, write your own note to your loved ones in heaven, place it in a balloon, and we would fill it with helium. At the end of our luminary ceremony, the balloons were released to be lifted to heaven with all our notes. We held spotlights on the balloons as they drifted upward. Since there was no wind that night, our balloons went straight upward. It was a beautiful sight as we held the spotlights on the balloons until we could no longer see them.

Please donate to this cause by sending a check in an amount you can afford made out to the American Cancer Society.

Send your check to:

Connie Mattingly

278 S Delaware

Mt. Gilead, OH 43338

If you wish to purchase a luminary

send $10.00 in the form of a check as above. On the memo area, write luminary.

You need to include

In memory of or

In Honor of

and the name of the person.

If you wish, I would be glad to send you a picture of your luminary at the event's ceremony. Please let me know.