MOSES LAKE — Every year Assured Hospice in Moses Lake celebrates the lives of people who passed away over the previous year. The memorial ceremony is one that organizers wish they didn’t have to plan out, but they do to make sure the lives of those who have passed are not forgotten.

“Usually we average about 300 people a year that pass away and we have a memorial for them,” Assured Hospice bereavement coordinator Deborah Fenske explained.

In the past the memorial was held at the Moses Lake Civic Center, but organizers wanted a more intimate venue this year and decided to hold this year’s program at Jamison’s Event Center, 605 E. Nelson Rd. On tap for the ceremony, which will be held on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., is a 21-gun salute by the American Legion, live music, food and refreshments.

“It’s a short service and we have the names of people who have died in a brochure. And what it is, we are really trying to get more community awareness of this. There is a lot of people who maybe move or their address changes or something happens and they are not able to attend.”

Fenske said on average about 100 people attend the event or organizers are hoping to bump that number up this year and get the word out about it so in 2019 people who have been in hospice care, as well as community members in general, can attend.

“It’s a really important thing I think. And we just aren’t able to get the message out very well to a lot of our patients and a lot of even community people if they wanted to come,” Fenske said. “Because they might have lost someone who didn’t have a chance to get on hospice before they passed away. It really is about and for our community.”

For more information about the event contact Assured Hospice at 509-766-2580.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.