Join Roswell Park for a Hopeful Tribute to All Affected by Cancer at Tree of Hope 2018

Free, family-friendly celebration features carriage rides, live music and candlelit tribute to all touched by cancer

Highlights
  • 24th annual Tree of Hope celebration comes to Roswell Park Friday, Dec. 14
  • 9-year-old cancer survivor Mason will light the Tree of Hope
  • Celebration and tree lighting to be aired live on WGRZ-TV Channel 2

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s 24th annual Tree of Hope lighting ceremony will draw cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and loved ones together for a holiday celebration Friday, Dec. 14, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Kaminski Park and Gardens on the Roswell Park campus. This free, family-friendly holiday celebration will be held in honor of all who are touched by cancer. It will include live music, carriage rides, visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, face painting and a gingerbread house raffle.

Guests can expect all the joys of the holiday season at this outdoor event, which is co-sponsored by WGRZ 2 On Your Side and the West Herr Automotive Group. The festivities will be hosted by Channel 2’s Maryalice Demler and Michael Wooten, and will culminate with the lighting of the Tree of Hope by 9-year-old Mason, a cancer survivor and member of the Courage of Carly Fund at Roswell Park.

The event will also feature a candle-lighting ceremony paying tribute to those we’ve lost to cancer, survivors and those still fighting the disease. Attendees will have the opportunity to write personal and inspirational messages on wreath ornaments to be placed on a holiday tree in the Roswell Park main lobby.

Other activities and attractions to be featured at this year’s Tree of Hope:

  • Performances by The Doyle Brothers, Mike Casinelli & Chuck DeRose, and the HyNotes/Friends of Harmony
  • Visits and photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus
  • Horse-drawn-carriage rides donated by the Collins Draft Horse, Ox and Pony Club
  • Area mascots, plus characters from Theatre of Youth’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
  • Gingerbread house raffle
  • Face painting
  • SPoT Coffee, Paula’s Donuts, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Buffalo to provide refreshments — hot chocolate, apple cider and donuts
  • Animated light show — a display of 75,000 energy-efficient LED lights, orchestrated to holiday music
  • Bracelets and headbands for sale at the Yroswell table

Guests may register to attend this free event by contacting1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or online at roswellpark.org/treeofhope. Free parking will be available in Roswell Park’s on-campus parking ramp, located at Carlton and Elm Streets in Buffalo.

Television viewers across Western New York, Western Pennsylvania and Southern Ontario can watch live coverage of the event on WGRZ-TV Channel 2 that evening beginning at 5 p.m., with streaming live coverage on WGRZ.com.

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Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a community united by the drive to eliminate cancer’s grip on humanity by unlocking its secrets through personalized approaches and unleashing the healing power of hope. Founded by Dr. Roswell Park in 1898, it is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. Learn more at www.roswellpark.org, or contact us at 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or ASKRoswell@RoswellPark.org.

Media Contact

Annie Deck-Miller, Senior Media Relations Manager
716-845-8593; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org