Lights of Life shine on Star City, Mars Hill
PRESQUE ISLE and MARS HILL, Maine — The downtowns of two central Aroostook County communities shone a bit brighter this past holiday season thanks to the Lights of Life tree on Main Street in Presque Isle and the community tree in Mars Hill.
It was the eighth year of The Aroostook Medical Center’s Lights of Life event to raise funds for patient support at TAMC’s Aroostook Cancer Care Center, and the third year that Clukey’s Auto Sales has partnered with the event, providing a central location on Main Street in Presque Isle to display the Lights of Life tree and allowing the program to expand to Caribou and Houlton. Last year it included Fort Fairfield, featuring the late JR McGillan for the campaign. This year, the program grew to include Mars Hill and Bridgewater as Larry Kingsbury is remembered and honored.
A tree lighting was held in Mars Hill. Featured guests were the family members of Larry Kingsbury, who arrived on Molly the Trolley for the ceremony. TAMC President/CEO Sylvia Getman spoke, sharing some of Larry’s story.
“Family meant everything to him, and last year at this time, despite his declining health, he insisted on a keeping up regular holiday customs and traditions that meant so much to him,” Getman told those gathered. “He showed his family and friends what courage really looks like.”
Following the tree lighting, participants were offered rides on Molly the Trolley, courtesy of TAMC and the town of Mars Hill.
The Presque Isle tree was lit as part of the Star City’s annual Holiday Light Parade. An antique tractor owned by Kingsbury, who was a long-time member of the Northern Maine Antique Tractor Club, was one of the leading entries in the parade.
Through Lights of Life, individuals purchased lights to remember those, like Kingsbury, who have lost their lives to cancer, or to honor survivors, family and friends of survivors, caregivers and others.
The names of those being honored or remembered were displayed at the locations where lights were sold and collectively on the TAMC website.
Proceeds from this year’s efforts will support the purchase and installation of a new PET CT scanner at TAMC. This state-of-the-art equipment is a powerful tool in the cancer treatment process.
About 300 patients travel annually to Bangor from Aroostook County for PET scans. Some who are unable to make the trip opt for a different, less effective imaging procedure. Having this technology locally will not only provide convenience for patients, but will open up this higher level of care to those who could not access it before. This will mean earlier detection, more accurate detection and better continuity of treatment.
For more information on Lights of Life, visit www.tamc.org or contact the TAMC Foundation office at (207) 768-4350.
