Hospice of Michigan Hosts 27th Annual Crystal Rose Gala

DETROIT, MI, August 30, 2012 (Press-News.org) Hospice of Michigan, the original and largest nonprofit hospice organization in Michigan, will host its 27th Annual Crystal Rose Gala on Sept. 8, at the Westin Book Cadillac.

The gala honors community partners, corporate leaders and outstanding volunteers who have been a vital part of the success of Hospice of Michigan's vision and mission. This year's honorees include:
• Outstanding Volunteer: Skip Roberts, leadership service via HOM's Foundation Board, Crystal Rose Gala Committee and initiation and creation of public service and media activities
• Outstanding Individual: Gary W. Kadlec, leadership service via Hospice Pharmacia's multi-year financial commitment specific to "Except for Six" documentary
• Outstanding Community Partner: "Ernie, The Play" producer Marc Rosenthal. "Ernie" has benefited HOM through performances in both Southeast and West Michigan
• Outstanding Corporate Partner: Johnson & Johnson, The Johnson & Johnson "Campaign for Nursing's Future," a campaign that has promoted nursing opportunities for 10 years, including specific focus on hospice nurses.

"The Crystal Rose Gala offers a truly inspirational opportunity to celebrate and thank our supporters for their willingness to make a positive difference for those in our care,' said Dottie Deremo, president and CEO of Hospice of Michigan. "Through the generosity of so many, Hospice of Michigan remains committed to being available to everyone in our communities who needs our care, regardless of their ability to pay."

A Crystal Rose Award will be presented to each honoree. The image of the rose honors HOM's roots as a volunteer-based organization and an early practice of placing a single long-stemmed red rose on the bed of a patient after death in memory of their life.

The 27th Annual Crystal Rose Gala will also feature an extraordinary lineup of musicians. Guests will experience an inaugural performance from Jordan Allen Broder and Nuclassica, a dynamic fusion of classical, pop and electronica music.

In addition, SwingShift, a swing, jazz and Latin dance band from Traverse City, will welcome attendees during the cocktail hour and perform throughout the evening. HOM is also working with SwingShift for its upcoming fifth season of "SwingShift and the Stars," a dance-off fundraising event between charities in Traverse City that concludes in December.

Proceeds from the Crystal Rose Gala will support HOM's ongoing nonprofit mission to provide comfort and care to all those in need of its services, regardless of diagnosis or ability to pay. Tickets, priced at $250, can be purchased online at http://www.hom.org or by contacting Leslie Kota at lkota@hom.org or 313.578.6269. Sponsorships beginning at $1,000 are also available. Forty dollars per ticket is tax-deductible.

About Hospice of Michigan
A nationally recognized leader in end-of-life care, Hospice of Michigan is the original - and largest - hospice in the state of Michigan. The non-profit organization cares for more than 1,000 patients each day in 56 counties, raising more than $4 million each year to cover the cost of care for the uninsured and underinsured. HOM offers innovative programs to enhance the quality of care for people at the end of life, education programs for physicians and healthcare professionals, caregiver education materials, cultural diversity programs for end-of-life care, and research and education programs at the Maggie Allesee Center for Quality of Life. For more information, call Hospice of Michigan's CARE Center 24/7 at 888.247.5701 or go to http://www.hom.org.