Holiday wonder

The story we’re about to share is a testament to both the generosity of Okanagan residents and for the enduring impact newspapers still have on the public.

Last Wednesday, our sister daily newspaper, The Penticton Herald, published a “Valley in Brief” item. The Moog and Friends Hospice House was asking the community to donate new or gently-used artificial Christmas trees to light up the garden outside the windows of hospice patients.

It was 134 words, no pictures and placed on Page A3.

Hospice volunteers were hoping for maybe one or two trees this year with hopes of gradually finishing the project over the next several years.

Prior to 8:30 a.m., the following morning, there were seven families not wanting to donate their old trees, but offering to purchase new trees. A phone call from the Rona store in Penticton followed, asking how many trees they wanted and if they would like them to be pre-lit.

The Hospice House volunteer coordinator openly wept with tears of joy when she learned the news.

The community had come through again.

The entire garden is now done with each of the nine patients now able to see an outdoor lit tree outside their window.

It was all completed before Thursday afternoon, less than a day-and-a-half after the story hit press.

The idea came about when one patient’s family put up a lit Christmas tree outside the window of their loved one, last year. It brought tremendous joy to the patient.

Christmas lights are joyful, they symbolize eternity. There’s something timeless about a lit Christmas tree.

This story also shows that for all the naysayers, predicting the demise of print journalism, we still remain the No. 1 source of news information for many people.

For whatever reason, the Moog and Friends media volunteer sent the media release to The Herald only. It wasn’t shared with the other outlets.

The rapid response speaks for itself.

Yes Virginia, there are still many readers of print journalism ... and they are extremely generous.