Earth Day Memorial Tree Planting Ceremony Held at St. Mary’s Campus

The SPHP Wellness Committee, along with members of senior leadership, gathered outside the Samaritan Hospital – St. Mary’s Campus on April 22 for a memorial tree planting ceremony. The kwanzan cherry tree is dedicated to our frontline workers who worked tirelessly to serve our patients, our community, and one another throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to the lives lost to the illness.

The ceremony, held on Earth Day, is a reflection of SPHP’s core values of Justice, which includes fostering right relationships to promote the common good including sustainability of the Earth, and Stewardship, wherein we honor our heritage and hold ourselves accountable for human and natural resources entrusted in our care.

The inscription on the plaque marking the tree reads:

We honor those lost,

We celebrate those who served

and, despite the tragedy of COVID-19,

we remember…

Love never ends. (1 Cor. 13:8)

Kathy DeRosa, vice president of mission services, and Mike Finegan, president of acute care, helped lead the ceremony, along with Angel Surdin, manager of community engagement.

An additional tree planting ceremony is planned for May at St. Peter’s Hospital.