On Feb. 6, 2016 Georgia Mountains Hospice, the Jasper Rotary Club and the Ellijay and Jasper Councils of the Knights of Columbus will sponsor the Mardi Gras in the Mountains fundraising event to raise money to support Georgia Mountains Hospice and other charities supported by the Rotary and the Knights of Columbus.

I am currently seeking votes in the form of donations to be named King of Mountain, and I need your help.

Georgia Mountains Hospice supports patients and families in their last stage of life in a 10 county area of North Georgia, which includes Dawson County.

Georgia Mountains Hospice is the only non-profit hospice operating in our area and has never denied service to a family because of their inability to pay.

The Big Canoe Chapter of North Georgia Veterans has agreed to assist the hospice with volunteers to work with veterans and their families during this difficult time.

Our volunteers will meet with veterans in hospice and award them a certificate recognizing their military service along with a lapel pin. They will also determine if the veteran would like to have their military service acknowledged during their funeral or memorial service.

If the veteran wishes to have their service acknowledged our volunteers would coordinate and implement that effort.

The hospice also provides supplemental support to hospice families beyond what Medicare, Medicaid or insurance will cover.

For example, if a person is too big for a hospital bed in the home, Georgia Mountains Hospice will provide a larger bed at no cost, on another occasion a patient wished to see his granddaughter before he died but was unable to afford the airline ticket from California, the hospice bought the ticket.

Georgia Mountain Hospice is also one of the very few hospice providers that work with children. Recently, a 12 year old boy in hospice wished to attend the Georgia-Georgia Tech football game. The hospice was able to provide the boy, his mother and brother and his12-year-old girlfriend seats on the 50-yard line at the game.

To provide these additional services, which mean so much to the families, the hospice is seeking donations to defray the cost.

Georgia Mountains Hospice is a non-profit Georgia Corporation operating under a 501c3 Internal Revenue classification. All donations are tax deductible.

I urge you to please consider making a donation at 70 Caring Way, Jasper, GA 30143. Please mark your check "Dawson County."

Thank you

Bill Saling
Former Dawson County District 1 Commissioner