Huntington lights up the season for hospice

Huntington University president Kevin McCormick handed over a very big Christmas present Dec. 2. He gave Maison Vale Hospice a cheque for $2,500.

The federated university is starting a new tradition of making a donation to a local charity each Christmas.

“Our students and staff and our faculty give back in different ways as volunteers in community groups,” McCormick said. “To us it was an incredibly important thing to do, to be there and to give something back.”

Maison Vale Hospice was chosen to receive the funds because it's “doing amazing things to help people in our community,” he said.

Edward Conroy, who has been Huntington's chancellor for the past 10 years, and was even around when the university was formed 50 years ago, said he's always been proud of Huntington.

He said the donation to Maison Vale Hospice just increases his pride in the institution. “It's a good place to be,” Conroy said.

Maison Vale Hospice board chair and Northern Life publisher Abbas Homayed expressed appreciation for Huntington's gift.

“I am genuinely thrilled to be accepting this generous donation from Huntington University on behalf of Maison Vale Hospice,” he said.

“This donation is testament to the caring role Huntington plays in our community. This is the season of giving, sharing, caring and good will and the need to provide warmth and support for families at Maison Vale Hospice at this time of the year is particularly poignant. Thank you.”

The cheque presentation was held just before Huntington's yearly tree-lighting ceremony.

Dozens of students gathered outside to watch the 3,000 lights on a 45-foot-tall evergreen tree blink on, and afterwards retired inside to enjoy free pizza and hot chocolate.

With the tree-lighting, students know “that's the start of exams and the start of the ticker down to how many sleeps before they get to go home to their family and enjoy the Christmas season,” McCormick said.