Annual Lights for Life Fundraiser at Saint Joseph Berea to Provide Assistance to Families in Need - Archived

Berea, Ky. (November 27, 2018) –The Saint Joseph Berea Foundation is planning its annual holiday fundraiser, Lights for Life, to help families in need in the Berea community. Now in its 32nd year, Lights for Life provides a tribute to loved ones and also raises funds to provide emergency assistance and medications year-round for underinsured and low-income patients in the Saint Joseph Berea service area.

With a $10 donation, a light can be purchased on the Lights for Life Christmas tree in honor or in memory of a friend or loved one. The names of those individuals will be read and honored during a special Christmas tree lighting on the front lawn of Saint Joseph Berea on Saturday, December 1, 2018, at 7 p.m. Refreshments will be provided for community members in attendance.

Donations received through the program help provide financial assistance to patients and families that cannot afford medical care. While emergency departments treat every patient regardless of their ability to pay, sometimes patients need prescriptions and additional follow-up care that they cannot afford. Without the medication and medical supplies they need, many patients end up back in the emergency room.

Patients who have benefited from the Lights for Life program include a 26-year-old man who arrived at the emergency room with diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication of insulin-dependent diabetes that can be fatal if left untreated. Diabetic ketoacidosis can develop within 24 hours without insulin. The patient had been without insulin for two days and couldn’t afford to purchase it due to taking a new job and having insurance that had not yet taken effect. Funding from Lights for Life helped to pay for him to get insulin, to keep him healthy and prevent him from being readmitted to the hospital.

“This event has become a tradition in the Berea community, helping give back to those in need,” said Leslie Smart, CFRE, president, Saint Joseph Berea Foundation. “We are so thankful for the many community members who stop by to honor their loved ones and friends, also helping our patients at Saint Joseph Berea with this donation.”

There are three convenient ways to donate to Lights for Life. Community members can donate online at www.kentuckyonehealth.org/lightsforlife, by phone at 859.313.2014, or send a donation to the Saint Joseph Berea Foundation, Attn: Stephen Clatos, 1451 Harrodsburg Road, Suite D308, Lexington, KY 40504.

For additional information on this event, contact Stephen Clatos at [email protected].

About Saint Joseph Berea Foundation
Saint Joseph Berea Foundation supports KentuckyOne Health’s drive for excellence by inspiring donors to make a tangible difference through their philanthropic investment in outstanding patient care facilities and services, the education of caregivers, advanced clinical research and improved access to quality medical care.

About KentuckyOne Health
KentuckyOne Health, part of Catholic Health Initiatives, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and includes hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies. KentuckyOne Health is dedicated to bringing wellness, healing and hope to all, including the underserved.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For More Information:
Mary Branham, Director, Communications
P: 859.313.2642
[email protected]