MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hospice & HomeCare of Reno County is celebrating a milestone this month as it prepares for the 25th annual Festival of Remembrance, its largest fundraiser of the year, helping support hospice and home health services across central Kansas.
The event is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 14, beginning at 6 p.m. at the 1861 Club on the Kansas State Fairgrounds. Guests will enjoy heavy hors d'oeuvres, drinks, silent and live auctions, raffles and other activities, with proceeds benefiting the organization's hospice programs and the Hospice House.
Tara Dahlstrom of Hospice & HomeCare of Reno County said the organization is the only nonprofit hospice and home health agency within a 50-mile radius and serves Reno County along with surrounding counties. The agency provides care in patients' homes, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and at the Hospice House, which is the only dedicated hospice house in central and western Kansas.
Dahlstrom said fundraising through the Festival of Remembrance helps maintain the Hospice House, purchase and replace equipment, and ensure patients and their families continue receiving compassionate end-of-life care.
She said hospice care extends beyond caring for the patient, providing support through a team that includes nurses, social workers, chaplains and home health aides who help families navigate one of life's most difficult transitions.
Teresa Wagner, president of the Hospice Board and a longtime Festival volunteer, said she became involved through the fundraiser before joining the board. She said seeing the impact hospice has on local families inspired her continued commitment to the organization.
Bill Speakman of B&B Hydraulics, this year's premier sponsor, said his family's personal experience with the Hospice House motivated the company to increase its support.
Speakman said the care provided to patients and families during the end-of-life process left a lasting impression, adding that everyone deserves that level of compassion and dignity.
In addition to B&B Hydraulics, this year's sponsors include ONEOK, Edward Jones, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, J and J Drainage, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and the Lauren and Andreas Meyer Pastoral Care Fund.
The silent auction is open online, allowing supporters to bid remotely before it closes the night of the event. Organizers are still accepting donations for auction items. Winners will be notified by text message when the auction concludes. You can see the items in the online auction at this link.
Individual tickets for the Festival of Remembrance are still available. Tickets can be purchased through the organization's website or by calling 620-665-2473