The Friends of Community Hospice & Health Services will be partnering with the Turlock Funeral Home and CEO Lonnie Alvares this December for the inaugural Turlock “Light up a Life” tree-lighting ceremony. While Light up a Life, which is a tree lighting to remember lost loved ones, is a longstanding tradition in Stanislaus County, this will be the first time the event is held in Turlock.

The ceremony will be held on Dec. 1 at 425 N. Soderquist Rd. on the grounds of the Turlock Funeral Home. The event will kick off at 5:30 p.m. with a hot cocoa and cookie reception next to the Chapel, followed by a brief program and the tree lighting. 

For nearly 40 years, the unique tree-lighting ceremony has been held in Modesto. With the event coming to Turlock, former Turlock Funeral Home CEO and current Chairman of the Board of Directors, Scott Atherton, and his wife, Nancy, will serve as the first annual Tree Lighters. 

“Scott helped establish Turlock Funeral Home in 2005, and he is pleased to join us in offering our families, friends and community members a moment of healing and hope,” Alvares said. 

Event chair Pam DiFrancia also expressed her excitement about the event expanding in Stanislaus County.

“Light Up A Life is our most time-honored event,” she said. “We are excited to offer the Turlock community this special opportunity to honor and memorialize their loved ones.” 

If you or someone you know has lost a person close to them and wishes to honor them with a symbolic light on the tree, or to purchase an ornament for your own family tree, community members are encouraged to visit give.hospiceheart.org.