Central Peninsula Hospital and Heritage Place have invited the public to attend their “Annual Setting of the Stones” event in the Peace Garden. The ceremony takes place on Wednesday, July 8, at 4:30 p.m. The Peace Garden is located on the southeast corner of the hospital campus, towards the Soldotna City Library.
The Peace Garden was created after a dark time in the history of the hospital and the peninsula in 2008, but much like the case of a fire, good things can become visible in the aftermath. In this case, the Peace Garden aims to offer remembrance to visitors as a place of peace, allowing people to look at the past and look to the future for hope.
Frank Alioto, who oversees spiritual care at CPH, details the importance of the setting of the stones: “Every year, we have new pavers that we put into the ground and use to represent people who have died. Some are in our community, some are fellow employees of CPH, and some are even just families who donate money to put the pavers in to remember those loved ones who have passed on.”
He also offers a reminder on the significance of the event: “If you look around the Peace Garden, not only will you notice the value of the hospital, we also have the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, we have people that have died this last year that we’ll be remembering and reading off their names. The event is surrounded by community members, also employees will be there. We have special music and it’s a time of reflection and remembering the glory of a garden and new life, especially as things come to bloom here in Alaska.”
Folks are welcome to join the ceremony in-person, in-spirit, or online on Facebook Live via their Voice of CPH page. For those looking to contribute to the Peace Garden, contact CPH directly at (907) 714-4404 and ask to speak to someone about the garden.
