Community Invited to Join Hospice of the Western Reserve At 36th Annual Meeting

CLEVELAND, Oct. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Members of the health care community, business partners, veterans' organizations and friends are invited to join Hospice of the Western Reserve at the nonprofit agency's 36^th annual meeting: "The Call to Serve." The event will be held Thursday, Oct. 30, 5 to 6:30 p.m., in the Grand Ballroom at the Global Center for Health Innovation, 300 Lakeside Ave., Cleveland. (Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be served at 5 p.m.; the program will follow at 5:40 p.m.) Admission and valet parking are free, but reservations are required. Registration (adults only, please), is available online at hospicewr.org/calltoserve, or by calling 216.383.5291.

The keynote speaker will be nationally renowned military historian Doug Sterner, co-author of the "Stolen Valor Act of 2005," who has been dubbed by CNN as a "Most Intriguing Person in the News." Sterner will share true stories of heroism, and will inspire the audience "to find the hero in all of us." Several awards will be presented to members of the community who have shown exemplary support for the agency's mission.

A decorated veteran of two combat tours in Vietnam, Sterner is a national correspondent who has appeared on CNN, Good Morning America and The History Channel, and contributed to news stories in The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today. He is also the creator and webmaster of the Home of Heroes website, an online museum devoted to America's Medal of Honor recipients, from the 1862 inception of the award to the present day.

"We chose 'The Call to Serve' as our theme because it reflects our mission on so many levels," said Bill Finn, Chief Executive Officer. "Our staff is called to serve hospice patients and their families; volunteers support our mission with their generous gifts of time and talent; and as a nonprofit agency, we are also privileged to serve the unique end-of-life needs of veterans."  

Annual meeting attendees will honor the heroes in their own lives by collaborating to create both virtual and hands-on interactive "hero storyboards." Guests will be encouraged to upload photos or short videos that exemplify their idea of "the call to serve" (i.e., teaching, volunteering, military service) and tweeting it with the hashtag #calltoserve. Ten-second videos composed by attendees will also be tweeted. Hospice of the Western Reserve will compile the videos and photos before, during and after the event. Meeting sponsors are Hanson Services, Inc., AdvaCare Systems, the Sherwin-Williams Co. Ciuni & Panichi, GMS and The Adcom Group.

Founded in 1978, Hospice of the Western Reserve has grown in response to community needs. The agency offers one of the largest community hospice programs in the country. Its calling extends far beyond "typical hospice care" to serving the most vulnerable, including a pediatric program for children with life-threatening illnesses, grief support and crisis response for schools, and specialized end-of-life care for the most complex cases. Many of its 3,000 volunteers developed a deep desire to serve others after a member of their own family received compassionate end-of-life care. Last year, the organization's volunteers donated more than 77,000 hours of service.

Media contact: Laurie Henrichsen, Public/Media Relations Manager, [email protected], or 216.701.1768. Photo of keynote speaker Doug Sterner available upon request.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141001/149753

SOURCE Hospice of the Western Reserve