Northside Hospital Brightens The Hopes
Of Cancer Patients This Holiday Season

For the 21st year, Northside Hospital will honor those affected by cancer with the lighting of giant Christmas trees atop its campuses in Atlanta, Alpharetta and Cumming. All three trees will be lit Saturday, December 5, 2009 with a free community celebration, 4:30-6:30 pm, at Northside Hospital-Forsyth in Cumming.

This annual holiday tradition is expected to bring together more than 3,000 people and will include entertainment from local groups and schools, photos with Santa Claus and many other activities for the kids. Once again, WSB-TV anchor Fred Blankenship will serve as emcee.

Celebration of Lights offers the hospital and community an opportunity to celebrate the arrival of the holiday season, all while serving a great cause – brightening the hopes of families affected by cancer.  Every year, more cases of cancer are treated at Northside Hospital than at any other community hospital in Georgia.  Each light on the trees represents someone whose life has been touched by cancer.

Lights can be purchased in honor or memory of loved ones.  All proceeds benefit education, research and treatment through Northside's Cancer Care Program.  Lights will be available for purchase at the Celebration of Lights event on December 5, 2009 and online giving is available, throughout the season, at www.northside.com . Festive cards will be sent to honorees and families of those memorialized and all gifts are tax-deductible.  For more information or to have an order form sent to you, please call 404-851-8389 or e-mail foundation.rsvp@northside.com.

The Northside Hospital health care delivery system is a not-for-profit health care provider that has served north Metro Atlanta for nearly four decades.  With more than 2,000 physicians on its medical staff, Northside sees nearly 700,000 patient visits a year.  Physicians and staff provide a full range of health care services, including women's services, cancer care, emergency services, surgery, specialty medicine and a wide array of outpatient services at many locations.  Northside Hospital offers high-quality health care at Northside Hospital-Atlanta in Sandy Springs, at Northside Hospital-Cherokee in Canton and at Northside Hospital-Forsyth in Cumming.