Benefit concert supports Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare
A concert featuring the French horn and the organ that will help support Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare will be held Wednesday, July 21 at 7 p.m. at Wooster United Methodist Church, 243 N. Market St. in Wooster.
Two Smithville alumni are reuniting to perform a musical benefit that will help support Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare on Wednesday, July 21 at 7 p.m. at Wooster United Methodist Church, 243 N. Market St. The event is free, but a freewill donation is encouraged. There will be no reception following the event due to continuing COVID safety issues.
Annie Gerig, a nurse retired from the Wayne County Care Center and former hospice volunteer, will play the English horn accompanied by John Finney, a distinguished professional organist.
Finney is the distinguished artist in residence at Boston College, director of the University Chorale of Boston College and conductor of the Boston College Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he is the director of music and organist at Wellesley Hills Congregational Church.
This will be the third time the pair has performed together.
Gerig said she is passionate about hospice, both after volunteering there herself for around 10 years and especially after having experienced the care on the receiving end as members of her own family needed hospice care.
“I know what hospice gives people. That’s why I wanted to do something,” she said.
Gerig said their first two concerts were so well received they decided to again perform once the COVID threat had subsided.
Gerig has only been playing the English horn since 2017. Prior to that she had played the oboe since high school.
“I always liked the English horn’s sound; it is more mellow and deeper than the oboe I had played in high school and since then,” she said.
Gerig and Finney got together about four years ago and played on one of Finney’s visits home.
“We sounded pretty good, and we had the idea of doing a recital together,” Gerig said.
The pair then decided to perform the concerts in the benefit of hospice.
“We thought about what else we could do since we were simply having such a wonderful time playing together,” Gerig said.
Because of the geography, the two practice separately for weeks except for getting together for two or three long practices once Finney arrives back in the area.
“We’ve enjoyed playing ever since our days in the Smithville High School band,” Finney said. “And I can’t think of a more worthy cause than that of hospice.”
Most Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare patients are served in their home, whether that is a private residence, an assisted-living facility or a nursing facility. When asked, most people say they want to remain in their homes until the end of their life, or at least as long as possible. Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare assists patients with this every day. They have seen time and again that the support Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare provides can assist individuals to stay home longer.
The support needed to keep a patient at home is different for each individual, but Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare has a full team of staff nurses, personal care specialists, social workers, chaplains, consulting physicians and volunteers to assist in meeting each patient’s needs, according to hospice development director Katherine Ritchie.
“If at any time a patient’s needs exceed what is able to be provided at home, the Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare team will work with the patient and the family to explore options available. If the care of a facility is needed, Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare will continue to support the patient and family in the assisted living or nursing facility,” Ritchie said. “About 95% of our care takes place in the home or assisted living or nursing facilities. The Akron Road facility has 12 inpatient rooms and more than 140 employees in total providing hospice services throughout the community. Another thing people might not realize is that we turn no one away if they are not able to pay.”
Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare serves Wayne, Holmes, Ashland and Medina counties. Next year will be its 40th year in Wooster.