Events in 2013

Lions Club concert in aid of La Maison de Tara

Some 100 enthusiastic music lovers braved torrential rain and glacial temperatures on a Sunday evening in December to attend a concert organized by Lions Club Geneva Nations in aid of La Maison de Tara. They were rewarded by two hours of glorious music by Zeina Dorkhom (mezzo soprano), Gilles Landini (piano), Patrick Leyvraz (violon) and Luc Aeschlimann (cello).  A glass of champagne in the interval, served by club members, added to the conviiviality.  

Tara Foundation President, Anne-Marie Struijk, guest of honour at a Lions  Club dinner on 24 January 2013,  accepted with much gratitude a cheque for CHF24,000, collected by the Club in support of the work of the hospice.  A big thank you from everyone at Tara goes to to all who contributed to this delightful event and its remarkable outcome. 

Seminar by Professor Gian Domenico Borasio, 21 March

Geneva family doctors and palliative care nurses gathered at La Maison de Tara for a fascinating and interactive seminar on quality of life at the end of life.  Professor Borasio, who holds the chair in palliative care at the Vaud university hospital (CHUV), shared his rich professional experience in this field and updated participants on the latest research.

Tara team runs the Geneva marathon, 2-3 May

Some of the Tara runners at a celebration in the garden after the marathonOver 50 runners, young and old, ran in the Geneva marathon events as Team Tara in remembrance off Candida Silver, a resident of La Maison de Tara for some weeks in July 2012. 103 sponsors from 5 countries supported the team and raised more than CHF17,000 for the hospice.  Sophie Forsyth, a great friend of Candida, did a magnificent job of organizing the event.  All our thanks go to her, the runners and the sponsors.

Rotary Club raclette stand 25 May

Lovers of wine and cheese were able to enjoy this magic combination – and contribute to La Maison de Tara – in the lovely village of Dadagny during the annual ‘Caves Ouvertes’ festival.  The Rotary Club Genève Lac organised a raclette stand in support of the work the hospice.  Despite inclement weather a good time and good food was had by everyone.  Many thanks to all the Rotary Club members who offered their Saturday to set up and run the stand. 

Seminar on the development of presence and compassion, 4-5 June 

Over two wonderful days, Frank Ostaseski. Founder of the Metta Institute and the Zen Hospice in San Francisco, helped Tara volunteers and professionals learn more about how to use attention and compassion to tackle practical, emotional and spiritual issues that arise at the end of life.  Using interactive discussion, integration exercises and personal exploration, Frank helped participants to recognise and bring to the fore their innate capacity to be a compassionate companion.  

We thank Frank for his dynamic and original teachings and also Mme Geneviéve Hamelet for her excellent translations.  We wish to express our gratitude to Webster University who so kindly offered free of charge the use of a perfect room for the seminar.

Family fete at La Maison de Tara, 25 June

Families, friends and volunteers enjoy a meal al fresco.Families, staff and volunteers were reunited on a beautiful June afternoon for our first family fete, a musical barbecue held in the garden.  Families who had only seen the house in winter were entranced by its verdant summer aspect.  It was a time to share memories, reminisce and also to talk of the future.  Some families and friends chose roses in remembrance of loved ones, to be planted in the new memorial rose garden.

Memorial rose garden

Memorial rose gardenA small oasis of calm and afternoon shade, the new memorial rose garden enables family and friends of deceased residents to celebrate their lives through the cultivation of a rose. The roses are chosen for their beauty and scent and bear a small disk engraved with the name of the person remembered.  A stone bench provides a seat for contemplation and rest.

Events in 2012