A few years ago, we introduced the Dare to Be Great Award as a complement to our convention theme, but the category resonated so well, we kept it. And it’s a good thing we did, because in 2010, there was yet another outstanding recipient of this award – Hospice of the Twin Cities for their Holiday Lights and Limos Program, pictured below.

The holidays can be a particularly lonely and sad time for many hospice patients who are unable to fully participate in holiday festivities. It can also be a painful time for families, who are tending to a critically ill loved one and anticipating their loss. Through the Holiday Lights and Limos program, patients and their families are able to experience the joy of the season by riding in a limousine to look at holiday lights. The trip includes listening to holiday music, enjoying treats, and staying warm under handmade fleece blankets. Pictured below are the volunteers who made the blankets, displaying the results of their work.

The first year of the program, over 120 patients were able to go on a Lights and Limo tour – with the limousines, drivers, and treats – all donated. By the second year, the program had expanded to include those who were wheelchair bound, allowing over 500 hospice patients and families to participate.

Hundreds of volunteers and dozens of staff members have contributed their time and talent to make this program a success. Volunteers have included, but are not limited to:

• The Camarata Brass Ensemble, who recorded a holiday CD that each participant received (and families received a sing-a-long songbook).
• Holiday blankets made by St. Stephens church, Allianz, and staff volunteers 
• Trader Joes, for donated treats, cider, and holiday cookies
• Volunteer photographers and
• Volunteer limousine drivers

Congratulations to Hospice of the Twin Cities for their Dare to Be Great Award recognizing their Holiday Lights and Limos program, which has made the holiday special for so many families during an emotionally difficult time. The photo below was taken when they received their award.

If you have a program that has dared to be great, why not get an award for it? 2011 awards information will be available online by mid-March, but it’s never too soon to start thinking who in your organization (or who that assists you) might be the next recipient of the . . .
Adult Volunteer of the Year
Aide – Caregiver of the Year
Champion Award
Community Partnership Award
Dare to Be Great
Distinguished Service Award
Employee of the Year
Excellence in Assisted Living Award
James B. Swanson Award of Excellence
Leadership Award
Life Enrichment Award
Nurse – Caregiver of the Year
Public Official Recognition
Rising Star Award
Superstar Award
Youth Volunteer of the Year

Lisa Foss Olson
952.851.2483
lolson@careproviders.org