Jubilee of Trees highlights Dixie hospital dedication

ST. GEORGE — Lots of rain mixed with blustery winds failed to stop the spirit of Christmas from making its planned arrival in Dixie.

"We are thankful for this moisture," said Elder H. Bruce Stucki, a member of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, during dedicatory services last week on the grounds of Intermountain Health Care's new Dixie Regional Medical Center hospital in St. George.

Stucki echoed what thousands of others were thinking over the weekend as they toured the hospital and enjoyed free admission to DRMC's annual Jubilee of Trees fund-raiser.

"We estimate we've had about 21,000 people take the tour," Terri Draper, DRMC spokeswoman, said. A steady stream of people walked through the $100 million hospital on self-guided free tours that ended Monday, eagerly peeking in on the cardiac surgery suites and scoping out the other impressive medical machinery that stands ready for patient use.

This year the Jubilee of Trees was housed in a white 26,000-square-foot tent propped up in the new hospital's parking lot, instead of being held indoors as usual. The only trouble with that plan came when Mother Nature dumped buckets of rain on the huge tent and damaged some of the decorations inside.

True to the Dixie spirit, however, dozens of volunteers came to the rescue and helped sandbag around the tent, clear out the mud and replace ruined items just in time for the Jubilee's opening day.

The yearly tradition, which raises funds for the Foundation of Dixie Regional Medical Center, features several dozen donated trees decorated in various Christmas themes, old-fashioned shops, holiday trains, nativities, crafts and a variety of special sweets and pastries for sale.

The Jubilee of Trees was also free to the public this year, a one-time gift offered by DRMC as a "thank you" to the public for its support.

"We have created a haven for humanity," said DRMC administrator Steve Wilson. "We can all bask in the joy of doing something worthwhile. It has been a privilege to watch this miracle from the front row."

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E-mail: nperkins@infowest.com

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