The Troy Regional Medical Center staff hopes a simple donation and a tree filled with lights will help community members in need this year.

The annual TRMC Lights of Love helps families in need throughout the community. For a simple $5 donation, members of the community are invited to add the name of a loved one to the Lights of Love Christmas Tree and Memory Book. All the names will be entered into a Christmas Memory Book and will be read aloud at the annual TRMC Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.

The funds donated will be used for the TRMC Adopt-a-Family Christmas Fund to help local families in need during the holiday season.

“The money goes to purchase things these families may need,” said Faye Lunsford with TRMC. “It may be clothes, toys for the children for Christmas or other things.”

Lunsford said TRMC usually sponsors several families each year, and it’s just another way that the hospital tries to serve the community.

“We are just in the business of helping people and supporting the community,” Lunsford said. “That is what we want to do. That is a big priority for us at the hospital.”

Lunsford said TRMC CEO Teresa Grimes began this tradition several years ago because she said it was important to help families throughout the year, but especially this time of year.

“We are excited we can do something like this,” Lunsford said. “Teresa has really led us to make sure we can provide this each year. We are pleased that she does this.”

TRMC will be providing hot chocolate and cookies for anyone who attends the Christmas Tree Lighting event at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 in front of the hospital.

“I just feel like it is something extra that we can do for some of our locals,” said Glenda Grissette with TRMC. “It’s a chance to make people happy that may not get a Christmas otherwise.”

Donations can be mailed to Troy Regional Medical Center addressed to Lights of Love or delivered to the TRMC Administrative Office.