Love Light Tree Project entering 39th year

A brief history of the Love Light Tree Project

In 1985, The Fort HealthCare Partners (known then as the Hospital Auxiliary), had an idea to help community members honor their loved ones over the holiday season, while also raising money for new hospital equipment and services.  The idea called the Love Light Tree Project has been a successful annual event ever since, exemplifying the spirit of giving in Fort Atkinson, and the surrounding communities.

This year, 2023, marks the 39^th season of the Love Light Tree Project. Originally, a 40-foot pine tree on the front lawn of Fort Memorial Hospital was chosen and decorated with colored and white lights starting in early December.  Over the years, the tree continued to grow, and more lights were added each year.  Then in 2005, the tree had come to a point where it could no longer support the lights and had to be cut down.  The Partners were worried how they would be able to go on with Love Lights but decided to continue the project by decorating three smaller pine trees also located on the front lawn.

By 2005, two more trees had been added, and Love Lights had raised over $400,000!  Many items for the hospital were able to be purchased with these proceeds.  Some of the items purchased included, birthing beds, warming tables and isolates for high-risk newborns, pediatric heart and apnea monitors, furnishings and supplies for a Family Comfort Room for patients receiving palliative care, defibrillators, monitoring and exercise equipment for the Cardiopulmonary program, and one item Partners are most proud of was the Paramedic Intercept vehicle for Emergency Services purchased in 2005.

From 2005 – 2022, $350,000 was raised through Love Lights to purchase an infant hearing screener, CPR training manikins, wheelchairs, blanket warmers, heart monitors and EKG equipment, health care scholarship awards, and money to subsidize the CareLine Medical Alarm Program.

Moving on to 2023, a blue spruce tree disease, along with a parking lot expansion made it necessary to remove the Love Light Tree(s) once again.  However, not to worry, five replacement trees have been planted to ensure many more years of successful Love Light Tree Projects.   While the trees continue to grow, we hope the support of the community will continue to grow along with them!

Donations

A donation of just $2 will add a light, either as a gift to honor someone (colored light), or as a memorial (white light), for a loved one who has passed away.  A donation of $25 or more will designate you as a Love Light Tree Sponsor. Donations can be mailed to: Love Light Tree, Fort Memorial Hospital Partners, 611 Sherman Ave. East, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538.  Donations are also accepted online. A $5 minimum is required for online donations.

Ceremony

A special lighting ceremony will take place on Tuesday, December 5 at 6:30 p.m. on the Sherman Avenue lawn in front of the Fort Memorial Hospital.  Please join us for the lighting ceremony and reception to follow.  The reception will be held indoors in the hospital cafeteria.  A special visitor from the North Pole has been invited!