SALISBURY — Fifty years ago, the Novant Health Rowan Medical Center Auxiliary began a tradition that is still going strong to this day. The “Tree of Hope” that is placed in the medical center’s courtyard was created to help raise money for different causes and for people to pay tribute to their loved ones.

On Dec. 7, the NHRMC Auxiliary, a group of hospital volunteers who oversee several projects, organized the “Tree of Hope” tree lighting ceremony, which was the first in-person one that has occurred since 2019 due to COVID. Many residents came to the ceremony on a cold, winter day to show their support for the center.

“This year is historic, it’s special in that it marks the 50th year of the auxiliary’s ‘Tree of Hope.’ This project began in 1973 and started as a fundraiser to remember and honor those special people in our community. It truly has remained a tree of hope and love with the lights that light the world in the dark,” Auxiliary President Jane Creech said. 

Typically, someone pays $10 for a light to go on the tree that goes to a worthy endeavor and is “in honor or in memory of someone.” In the past, the money that the auxiliary has raised has gone to the Glenn A. Kiser Hospice House, scholarships for medical students, and the hospital’s mobile mammography unit. This year, the money will be given to those who need assistance paying their medical bills. Creech said because it was the 50th year of the “Tree of Hope,” the auxiliary contributed $50,000 to aid in paying for medical bills.

Chaplain Marian Cooper gave a “Blessing of the Lights” before the Choristers of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church sang Christmas carols to a crowd that sang along, too.  

“Let this ceremony be a testament to the power of community, the strength the lies within us, the beauty of standing together as a united force,” NHRMC President Gary Blabon said. “May this ‘Tree of Hope’ continue to grow, flourish with the stories of triumph and resilience that define us.”