CALABASAS : Hospice Friends Light Tree to Raise Funds

Supporters of the Hospice of the Canyon center for the dying held an emotional tree lighting ceremony this week as part of an effort to raise funds for a 24-bed clinic.

Family and friends of terminally ill patients who received psychological, spiritual and medical support at the hospice bought colored Christmas tree lights in memory of loved ones to benefit the 2-year-old center in Calabasas.

About 60 gathered at a party Wednesday night, partly to talk about plans to expand the hospice, which has no room to keep patients overnight, and partly to perform the symbolic act of lighting the tree on a hill overlooking the Ventura Freeway.

“I have many lights up there,” said Grace Lowell, whose husband, a hospice board member, died 12 days earlier. “To me, those are his lights, like he’s looking down here and he knows what’s happening. It’s as though he’s here.”

Others attending the party at the immaculately furnished hospice at the foot of the hill were just as earnest about the importance of expanding the facility.

“My son-in-law died in a hospital 20 years ago, and there was no place like this to take him,” said June Ebensteiner, who founded Hospice of the Canyon. “It was devastating. Hospitals offer no psychological or spiritual help, and people are just shoved over in a corner and left to die.”

The hospice serves about 50 terminally ill people at a time and employs about 20 full-time staffers to visit clients in their homes. The hospice, which is designed like a family home, also accommodates clients for daytime counseling and socializing.

Although no estimates have been made for the sum needed to build an inpatient center, Ebensteiner said, hospice organizers hope to raise at least $30,000 from the tree lighting event through private and corporate donations. That amount was raised through the sponsorship of Christmas tree lights in the past two years.

The event was attended by actor-entrepreneur Gene Autry and fellow singing cowboy Monte Hale, who praised the atmosphere of the hospice.

“There’s something about this place, it’s so homey,” Hale said. “Even if there weren’t any people here, I think I’d talk to the walls.”