Yuletide Sampler & Community Tree Lighting Ceremony

PARK RAPIDS, MN (NOV. 7, 2014) – The 40-foot balsam on Main Street, lighted trees on every corner, fresh evergreen wreaths on the carriage lights and window displays set the scene for the holidays in downtown Park Rapids.

Enjoy hot cider, hot chocolate and other treats at the Yuletide Sampler from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25. Participating businesses host this annual event as a way to thank the community for their support all year and invite the start of your holiday shopping. Free will offerings from the Yuletide Sampler will be donated to CHI St. Joseph's Health Hospice Care.

Then gather at 6 p.m. for the CHI St. Joseph's Hospice Care Light Up A Life Community Tree Lighting Ceremony on Main Street. The tree lighting ceremony is a celebration of life and memories. This year's event will honor the memory of Bert Ahern, distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota, Morris, who moved to the area with his spouse, Janet, when they retired. By giving a gift in honor or in memory of a loved one, you are helping to bring individualized care to Hospice patients in our area. All donations are used locally.

In the spirit of the season, a Christmas carol sing-along, roasting marshmallows over fire pits, Santa's arrival and the countdown to light the beautifully decorated Main Street tree complete the celebration.

Many people describe the annual event as a Norman Rockwell moment.

All season, Park Rapids' giant tree brightens Main Street on winter nights and stands as a symbol of small town cheer and good will, lighting the way to a New Year.

About CHI St. Joseph's Health

CHI St. Joseph's Health is a 25-bed critical access hospital serving communities in Hubbard, Becker, Cass and Wadena Counties since 1946. In recent years, CHI St. Joseph's Health's award-winning teams received several national honors including: The Joint Commission Top Performer on Key Quality Measures in surgery: Top 100 Critical Access Hospital, HealthStrong; WomenCertified's America's Best Hospitals Women's Choice Award in obstetrics; and the Studer Group Fire Starter Healthcare Organization of the Month among other national, regional and state recognitions.

About CHI

Catholic Health Initiatives, a nonprofit, faith-based health system formed in 1996 through the consolidation of four Catholic health systems, expresses its mission each day by creating and nurturing healthy communities in the hundreds of sites across the nation where we provide care. The nation's third-largest nonprofit health system, Englewood, Colorado-based CHI operates in 18 states and comprises 103 hospitals, including four academic health centers and major teaching hospitals as well as 30 critical-access facilities; community health-services organizations; accredited nursing colleges; home-health agencies; living communities; and other facilities and services that span the inpatient and outpatient continuum of care. In fiscal year 2015, CHI provided almost $970 million in charity care and community benefit - an 8% increase over the previous year -- for programs and services for the poor, free clinics, education and research. Charity care and community benefit totaled more than $1.6 billion with the inclusion of the unpaid costs of Medicare. The health system, which generated operating revenues of $15.2 billion in fiscal year 2015, has total assets of approximately $23 billion. Learn more at http://www.catholichealthinitiatives.org.