Every year, during the summer, Mountains Community Hospital holds a special observance honoring loved ones who have passed away. Hosted by the members of the Mountains Community Hospital Auxiliary, the ceremony takes place in the tranquil setting of the hospital’s rose garden, overlooking Lake Arrowhead.

This year’s event will be on Saturday, Aug. 12 from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m.

If you have a deceased family member, friend or someone else you would like to be honored, please contact Christi Schneider at (909) 337-6940 no later than July 14. A suggested donation of $25 from each family will go toward a new rose bush for the ceremony and an engraved nameplate for each honoree.

After the sharing of memories, everyone gathers around the rose garden to observe the rose selected for the year and recite Psalm 23. Refreshments will be served after the ceremony.

MCH has been sponsoring this event for more than 50 years. It is a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge those who have lived and worked in our community and have impacted our lives.

The tradition of the Rose Memorial ceremony began in 1951 when Sister Theresa of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange started the original heart-shaped rose garden soon after the hospital was built. The sisters maintained the garden until the property was sold to a nonprofit organization in 1964. The hospital Auxiliary was also founded during these years to assist the sisters and the hospital. In 1967, an Auxiliary member and member of the Hilltoppers Garden Club began the rose garden renovation, donating hundreds of hours to this labor of love. The Hilltoppers replaced and rejuvenated the roses, adding new areas to the garden. In 2008, the Hilltoppers disbanded and the hospital Auxiliary became responsible for the ceremony and care of the rose garden.

The next time you visit the hospital, please stop by the Rose Memorial boards in the hospital’s main corridor to view your loved one’s plaque along with all who have been honored over the years. For more information about this event, contact Christi Schneider, Rose Memorial chairperson, at (909) 337-6940.