It’s a place where families can go when a loved one is receiving outpatient cancer treatments in Lexington.
Tonight people who have stayed at the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge gathered together to celebrate the holidays.
The night began with a feast and musical entertainment while they ate. Santa also made an appearance during the event.
One of the most moving parts of the evening was when two women shared their personal stories of their time at Hope Lodge.
“My heart goes out to these families that are in need and I'm so thankful that they have this lodge to come to,” Donna Lynch said.
Lynch lost her husband to cancer this past February. She said this holiday season hasn’t been easy.
“It's hard, it's very hard,” she said. “This is my first without him. It's very very hard. There's an emptiness and loneliness that no one can understand.”
Ve Ron Rose Moore battled cancer in 2010.
“When you hear that word cancer, that diagnosis, you begin to think in perspective,” Moore said. “And things you've taken for granted, they seem so trivial at that point in time.”
Moore is now cancer free. And she said the Hope Lodge was just what she needed.
“It has sad memories, but also such sweet memories,” she said. “I made a lot of friends here. It was a life saver for me.”
The Hope Lodge is free for outpatient cancer patients. They can book up to 32 rooms at a time.
