Hospice celebrated 25, despite Mother Nature's interference

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

We intended our carefully scheduled, meticulously planned and long-awaited 25th Anniversary Celebration and Burnett-Calvert Hospice House Dedication to take place in front of the new Burnett-Calvert Hospice House now being built on Sixes Road in Prince Frederick. But Mother Nature had other plans.

As the skies grew darker the and drops came — first lightly, but before long in torrents — volunteer Dave Walton and his team from Dunkirk Baptist Church pushed forward with set-up full-steam ahead despite the mud and muck.

Dale Cross and Bonnie Carter of Out of Sight DJs set up their delicate equipment under a tent that filled every 10 minutes with gallons of rain.

The Chesapeake Community Chorus arrived, umbrellas and music in hand, ready to actually "sing in the rain."

We are grateful to all for their dedication and donation of services to our effort.

When it became obvious that the steady downpour would not abate anytime soon, Calvert Hospice Board of Directors President Jay Webster suggested that we move everyone into the as yet unfinished Hospice House, within the shelter of the building that will soon be our dream turned into reality. We dried off the chairs, wrung out our shirts and welcomed our guests to join in a stirring program that honored the founders of Calvert Hospice and dedicated the Hospice House as a symbol of our on-going commitment to serve the needs of those in Calvert County living their final months and weeks and those grieving the loss of someone close.

Mother Nature seemed to want us to see that being in the Hospice House would make the day even more meaningful.

And it was so.

The voices of the Chesapeake Community Chorus soared through our open rafters, and the prayers of Calvert Hospice Chaplain Willie Davis and Board member Deacon John Verdon lifted our hearts and spirits to the heavens.

We are grateful to all who brought us to this day, from the founders who gave birth to the first idea of Hospice more than 25 years ago, to the current board of directors, staff and volunteers who live out the mission and vision of Calvert Hospice every day in the lives of our friends and neighbors.

We will be back at the Burnett-Calvert Hospice House when it opens its doors in October.

We hope that everyone will join us then to see the dream that became reality here in Calvert County.

Lynn Bonde, Prince Frederick

The writer is the executive director of Calvert Hospice.