Memorial Garden Honoring Loved Ones is Dedicated at Bluegrass Care Navigators in Lexington

September 21, 2023

On August 29, Bluegrass Care Navigators (BCN) gathered with our Caring Community of donors, friends, teammates, local artists Matthew and Karine Maynard of Maynard Studios, and landscape designer Jon Carloftis to dedicate the newly installed memorial tree sculptures in our Bluegrass Care Navigators Memorial Gardens. Together, we celebrated life, honored memories and left with renewed determination to continue to make a positive impact in the lives of those we serve. 

“Through our work in hospice care, we have learned that every life is a story worth celebrating, and every memory is a treasure to be cherished,” Liz Fowler, President and CEO, said. “These memorial trees and our garden stand as symbols of the lives we have cared for and the lives we continue to touch. They stand as a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring connections that bind us together.” 

 

Maynard Studios custom designed these inspiring memorial tree sculptures to honor the memory of those who have touched our lives and celebrate their contributions to our community. Each leaf, animal and flower on our memorial trees is inscribed with a tribute message from the bricks located at our previous location, and each represents a life cherished and remembered. 

These trees ornament the BCN memorial garden designed by Jon Carloftis whose skillful creativity has transformed the space into a sanctuary of reflection, hope and peace. Carloftis created a haven that is beautiful in every season, where team members can come to rejuvenate and where caregivers and those bereaved can find solace. 

 

“The natural world around us teaches us that life begins, withers, ends and then life can begin again,” Kathryn Perry, Executive Director at our Lexington location, said. “A garden teaches us of the interconnectedness of life, both the majesty and the fragility, the dependence on caretakers and resilience of even the smallest plant.” 

 

Care teams at BCN remember each patient with writings, ribbons, glass beads and other meaningful rituals. When BCN moved to its new headquarters in 2020, we wanted to take these individual reminders with us, and these have been buried in our garden. Irises grow around the parking lot nearby. These bulbs are from the field where Flight 5191 crashed at the Lexington Airport on August 27, 2006, and honor the 49 passengers and crew who perished that day. 

 

“The support and dedication of our donors, community partners, team members and volunteers serve as a shining example of how we can create positive change when we come together with shared purpose,” Laura Klumb, Vice President of Philanthropy, said. “Your generosity enables us to provide comfort, compassion, and solace to families during their most challenging times, and our memorial garden stands as a testament to the love and respect we hold for every life we touch.” 

 

You can leave a legacy in honor of a family member or friend by adding to our memorial tree sculptures at our headquarters location. To place a memorial tree tribute call 855.492.0812 or visit bgcarenav.org/tribute. 

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