Evergreen Angel celebrates loved ones and support hospice

[Mt Evans Hospice]

It’s been 25 years since Virginia Haley, then owner of the Evergreen Fine Art gallery, introduced the Evergreen Angel pendant to the world. She created that first Angel, “Sarah,” to honor her grandmother and offer tangible support to Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice, the mountain area’s only nonprofit provider of hospice care.

In 2008, art lovers Barb Hadley and Phil Shanley took over the gallery and the Angel, which has contributed over $200,000 to Mount Evans over the decades.

“Our relationship with hospice is very important to us,” says Shanley, a member of Mount Evans’ first board of directors back in the early ‘80s. “The Evergreen Angel has always been meant to benefit hospice.”

Now, meet “Olivia,” the 26th Evergreen Angel in a long, unbroken line of pendants, charms and earrings. Handcrafted in sterling silver or 14-karat gold, Olivia cradles an olive branch in her arms. In the limited-edition gemstone pendant, her flowing gown is embellished with a perfect lapis lazuli. You can see Olivia and the 25 Angels that came before her at http://EvergreenAngel.com.

“We send Angels all over the world,” smiles Barb Hadley. “People get them for Christmas, for birthdays, for graduations, for christenings—for every occasion you can imagine.”

Many give an Angel to someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one. Those who wear the Angels often tell stories of a terrible loss made easier to bear by the gift of an Evergreen Angel.

Kathy Boatman wears 2005’s “Elizabeth” in memory of her daughter, Heather, who died in a plane crash that year. “At the time, the Angel helped me remember the importance of faith, family and friends,” Boatman says. “Today, she is part of a cherished memory.” Boatman had her limited-edition Angel made with both her and Heather’s birthstones.

Evergreen Angels have consoled family members of 9/11 and Sandy Hook victims. Time and again they have served as emissaries of hope, comfort and heartfelt empathy.

Not all the stories are sad, though. “I once dated a guy who gave me and his mother an Evergreen Angel every Mother’s Day,” remembers Marcia Blount. “The guy’s long gone, but I still collect the Angels!” You can see Marcia’s collection and read other great Angel anecdotes on the “Your Stories” page at http://EvergreenAngel.com.

Designed in Colorado and created by a Rhode Island silversmith, Evergreen Angels are made entirely in the USA. Since 1993, a portion of each year’s proceeds has benefited Mount Evans Hospice in Evergreen. Each year, the new Angel is unveiled at an Angel Tea, where the hospice chaplain blesses her.

Visit http://EvergreenAngel.com to see the entire collection, or stop by the Evergreen Angel office at 3082 Evergreen Parkway, Evergreen, on Fridays and Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Call 303-679-
3610 to order custom Angels.

Learn more about Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice at http://MountEvans.org.