Dueling Pianos Returns!

Thanks to all who purchased tickets to this event…we’ll See you Friday, June 1st!!!

While matters involving the work of Hospice typically center around very serious life events, we are breaking away from the heavier aspect of the services we provide to host an evening of pure entertainment to support our patients and the community. On Friday, June 1st, Hospice is bringing back our exciting Dueling Pianos show – a one of a kind experience in the North Country! It promises to be another great evening of music, comedy and enjoyment for adults of all ages!

The musicians from Cutting Edge Dueling Pianos are FANTASTIC. Last year’s show featured a battle between Elton John and Billy Joel fans, a hip- hop medley, countless audience requests and endless laughs. Anything you can imagine, they can perform. Our audience of nearly 350 at the first event was laughing, clapping, singing, dancing, and loved every minute the performers were on stage. Be prepared with your list of special requests to make your mark on this great show! Click here for a sneak peak!!!

We’re sorry, tickets are no longer available.

Quick Info:

Friday, June 1st
Cheel Campus Center
Doors open at 6:30pm, show starts at 7:30pm
Heavy hor d’oeuvres included and cash bar available

What’s new for Dueling Pianos this year? – Chances to win a trip to a premiere destination!

Hospice has partnered with Philantopia to provide 9 fabulous destinations to be auctioned off at this year’s event! Destinations include Cabo, Alaska, NYC, California, Tuscany and more!

Click here for a full listing of the trips being offered.

Hospice’s Special Events are generously supported by the following businesses:

Premier Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Event Sponsors

Bear’s Den

Enbridge St. Lawrence Gas

ENI Mechanical

Golub Foundation

Johnston’s Water, LLC

Massena Savings & Loan

Scott’s Auto Center

Special Thank You to our Venue

Tastes on the River Returns!

On Sunday, April 23rd, Tastes on the River returns to the Gran View on the River graciously hosted by Lou Williams and the rest of the staff! Over the past 17 years, the Tastes events have become highly anticipated, celebrating the important partnership of Hospice donors and volunteers while raising much needed funds to support programs provided in the community. The cost is $40.00 per ticket and all proceeds will help support Hospice patient services. Reservation times will begin at 11:30AM and continue every 30 minutes until 2:30PM. Hospice staff and volunteers invite the community to enjoy a wonderful afternoon of fine dining on the St. Lawrence River. Guest chef’s and underwriters for this year’s event include:

SUNY Canton Executive Chef, Steven Maiocco, who will prepare fresh Atlantic Halibut served with potato-celeriac puree, asparagus and tomato confit

Chef Craig Bourne of ARAMARK at Clarkson University, who will be offering a specialty entrée for two which will consist of Kilcoyne Beef Tenderloin cooked in a Cabernet Reduction, Maple-Cranberry Mustard Seared Duck, an Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Mint Horseradish served with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Grilled Asparagus – this feast for two will be served tableside by Aramark’s Executive Chef Kyle Mayette

The Gran-View’s own Eric Armstrong will be preparing an Encrusted Pork Tenderloin delicately wrapped in prosciutto and pan-seared in olive oil and herbs. Served on a bed of sage and date demi-glace. Plated with fritta style carrot and fennel hash. All entrees include soup, salad, bread and dessert generously donated by local businesses.

Reservations are required by April 17th. Please call 315-265-3105 to make your entree selections and seating choices.

Hospice Book Club Meets April 19th

Aging, illness, caregiving, grief and end-of-life wishes. What do these issues all have in common? – They are very real, inevitable issues we will all face at one point or another in our lives and ones that many of us have not discussed with others. Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley invites you to learn about these and other topics by participating in our free book discussion group.

The first quarterly meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 19th from 5:00-6:30PM at the Hospice Center located on Route 11 in Potsdam. The first book up for discussion is The Four Things That Matter Most by Ira Byock, MD. Dr. Byock is an international leader in palliative care and the founder and chief medical officer of the Providence Health & Services Institute for Human Caring in Torrance, California.

The book focuses on the importance of four simple phrases: “Please forgive me”, “I forgive you”, “Thank you” and “I love you”. These phrases, while simple, carry an enormous power to mend and nurture our relationships and inner lives. The sentiments they convey provide a path to emotional well-being, guiding us through interpersonal difficulties to life with integrity and grace.

Dr. Byock explains how we can practice these life-affirming words in our day-to-day lives. Too often we assume that the people we love really know how we feel. He demonstrates the value of “stating the obvious” and provides practical insights into the benefits of letting go of old grudges and toxic emotions. His stories help us forgive, appreciate, love and celebrate one another.

While the group is free to attend, participants will be responsible for obtaining their own copy of The Four Things That Matter Most. The book is available for purchase at Amazon*.

Interested individuals are asked to register with Linda Caamaño at (315)265-3105 or lacaamano@hospiceslv.org

* Please consider selecting Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley as your preferred charity when shopping with Amazon Smile (https://smile.amazon.com/ch/22-2627929)

Hospice Presents 5th Annual Mountain Warrior Sled Hockey Tournament March 3rd-5th

Mark McKenna goes over strategies with the Fort Drum Mountain Warriors

The 5th Annual Fort Drum Mountain Warrior Sled Hockey Tournament returns to the Roo’s House at SUNY Canton for an action packed weekend March 3rd-5th. Mark McKenna, the tournament organizer and Head Coach of the Mountain Warrior Sled Hockey team of Fort Drum says he looks forward to another great weekend of sportsmanship and camaraderie, as well as the opportunity to raise awareness about the sport.

“Although the sport is growing, there are still many people who have never heard of sled hockey,” says McKenna. “In the adaptive sport, each player is seated in a sled mounted on two blades. They propel themselves using two shortened sticks with ice picks mounted at the handle of the stick. Each of the players on the team face certain challenges, but I’ll tell you, they move quickly and compete fiercely.”

The team was founded in 2011 when Mr. McKenna was working out in the gym at Fort Drum where he is employed as a Civil Engineer. He noticed a wounded soldier make his way around the gym to a few pieces of equipment in his wheelchair. Because of accessibility issues, the soldier was unable to get a workout in and left the gym. “I went to try to catch him to offer some help, but he was too quick for me”, said McKenna. “I returned to the gym and asked the staff what they did for disabled soldiers; did they offer wheelchair basketball or sled hockey for team sports? They hadn’t even heard of sled hockey! I commute an hour to work each day so my wheels were really turning, I knew we needed to do more for our soldiers who have sacrificed so much for the rest of us” he continued.

After utilizing a few contacts, including USA Hockey Disabled Section, the Warriors in Transition Unit at Fort Drum, Unique Inventions or Ontario and the four local colleges, Mark was able to host a two-day training clinic and recruit 24 wounded soldiers and athletes to his team.

In 2015, Hospice joined in the planning process to provide support with event promotion and supply volunteers at the event. “Working with the Mountain Warriors fits really well with the Hospice philosophy” said Kellie Hitchman, Director of Development and Community Relations. “Each day our staff works to assist patients and their families in living to the fullest, despite the circumstances they face with serious illness. These athletes exemplify living to the fullest each time they take the ice. Additionally, Hospice is a level 4 partner in the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s We Honor Veterans program which focuses on informing the community of the needs of veterans and creating multi- agency partnerships to assist in meeting those needs. It’s a good fit with what everyone involved is trying to accomplish” she continued. “One of the big things we are promoting in the tournament this year is the Veteran’s face-off at 4:30pm on Saturday, March 4^th. The Fort Drum Mountain Warriors will take on the Buffalo Warrior Vets. While we hope to see fans at games throughout the tournament, we really hope to see a lot of support for the veterans who sacrificed so much for us. All of the athletes are truly inspiring”, she finished.

The tournament last year raised more than $10,000 to support the Fort Drum Mountain Warriors Sled Hockey Team to allow the players to continue to pursue athletics despite injuries and disabilities. “We hope to do as well as we did last year” said Mr. McKenna. “That really helped us maintain our equipment and helped with tournament fees so we could travel and compete in many other tournaments.”

Play begins at 7:00AM on Friday morning with a break between noon and 2:00PM when games will resume. The last game of the day starts at 5:00PM. The Knights of Columbus in Canton will sponsor a dinner for the teams Friday night. Friday night’s dinner will feature motivational speaker and amputee athlete, Dave Stevens. Dave was born without legs and has been playing sports all his life. Even before adaptive sports were created, Dave was a three-season athlete at his high school in Arizona competing in able-bodied sports and eventually went on to become the VP at ESPN studios. Learn more about Dave’s incredible story by visiting davesimpossibledream.com.

Action will resume at 7:00AM on Saturday with a break from 12:30-2:00PM, during the break there will be a community skate where spectators can try out a sled. Throughout the tournament fans can enter to win multiple prizes during the weekend-long silent auction; past items in the auction have included a signed jersey, equipment and other sports memorabilia. There will also be a raffle for a Yeti Tundra Cooler valued at $350, a 50/50 raffle and chuck-a-puck contest. Games will conclude with the Championship game and closing ceremonies at 10:30am on Sunday, March 5th. All games will take place at the Roo’s House on the SUNY Canton Campus.

More information on the 5th Annual Fort Drum Mountain Warriors Sled Hockey Tournament can be found by visiting their Facebook page at Fort Drum Mountain Warrior Sled Hockey, Inc. or by contacting Kellie Hitchman at 315-265-3105. Mark McKenna can be reached at 315-854-0383 to answer questions about sled hockey or the Fort Drum Mountain Warriors.

New Patient Enrichment Programs at Hospice

Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley makes every effort to enrich the lives of our patients and their families during the time they are under our care. Under the direction of our new Volunteer Manger, Linda Caamaño, Hospice is proud to present our new Patient Enrichment Programs. The purpose of these programs is to bring added comfort and joy to our patients and their families. Volunteers, who are already a crucial part of the Hospice team, will receive additional training in the program of their interest. To date, Hospice Patient Enrichment programs include; the Life Legacy program, music therapy, the Memory Bear Project, and a pet therapy program.

The Life Legacy program allows patients a chance to preserve their life story. A trained volunteer, over the course of several visits, interviews and records the patient telling their story. This gives patients an opportunity to record what was most significant to them, and can also lead to families learning something about their loved one they hadn’t known before. It is a gift treasured by families for years after their loved one is gone.

Music and Memory is a new program to help comfort patients living with dementia-related illnesses. Research has shown playing music that is familiar and meaningful to a patient can bring great comfort and often opens pathways to communicate and connect with others. With this program, a customized playlist is made for a patient and then delivered by one of our volunteers who brings along special headphones for them to listen with. This program helps promote interaction between the patient and the volunteer.

Through a partnership with Therapy Dogs International, certified therapy dogs and their handlers visit Hospice patients upon request to provide the unconditional love, affection and presence that only pets can give. This is especially meaningful to patients who have had to give up their own pets due to a move into a nursing facility or as a result of their illness. The emotional bonds that humans share with pets result in very positive effects: reduced anxiety and stress, increased feelings of relaxation, and an overall improved outlook on life. The Pet Therapy Program uses the natural bond between humans and animals to provide comfort, peace, and soothing companionship to terminally ill patients. The therapy dog handlers will also complete the Hospice Volunteer Training series as to stay in compliance of our scope of practice.

The Memory Bear Project (pictured above) serves to leave family members with a lasting, tangible memory of their loved one. Often, when someone we love dies, we find ourselves hanging onto anything that they once owned or reminds us of them. Through this program, custom, hand-sewn teddy bears are made from clothing that belongs to a patient. This is especially meaningful to grandchildren who will have not only something to remember their loved one by, but an object that will hopefully bring them comfort each time they hug it! This service is offered by Hospice in partnership with the women’s housing unit at the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility in Canton.

For more information about these programs and other volunteer opportunities, contact Linda at 315-265-3105!