Memory Tree ceremony

WORLAND – The Special Olympics memory tree fundraiser Thursday Dec. 17 at the Worland Community Center Complex was a huge success, raising more than $2,500.

The Memory Tree, outside of the Worland courthouse on 1000 Big Horn Ave., is adorned with CDs decorated and hung by the Special Olympics athletes. Each CD has the name of a person who has passed away or for a person to be honored.

For a $5 donation to the Special Olympics, a name was placed in memory of a loved one who has passed on or in honor of someone living. An invitation was sent to one person, per order, to let them know about the special ceremony, where all the names were read aloud.

“Many of those who attend the ceremony for the first time are experiencing their first Christmas without their loved one. As they look around the room, they are amazed to see so many families feeling the same way that they do. We hope that this little program can bring peace to people in remembering those who have gone on before us and yet are still so fresh in our memories that it hurts,” Bryant said.

So many people attended the ceremony that additional chairs were needed. “It was probably a record number of people who attended,” Washakie County Special Olympics coordinator/ director Yvonne Bryant said.

During the ceremony music was provided by Kaeli, Delanie and Nyah Campbell with Cecile Wiechmann accompanying on the piano. Songs sung were “Ordinary Baby,” “He started the whole world singing” and “It is well with my soul.”

Between 400 and 500 names of people who were honored or being remembered were read during the ceremony by Jay Richard and Yvonne Bryant.

“Hopefully many lives were touched and blessed by the ceremony,” Bryant said.

First Baptist Church of Worland pastor Scott Longwell gave the message of hope, reminding people that the names read were not just names, but were people who were once fathers, mothers, sons and daughters and that all were special.

“Washakie County Special Olympics is very appreciative of the generosity of our community. It’s nice to know that the community stands behind us in keeping our program running. The athletes’ lives will be blessed because of the community’s donations,” Bryant said.