FRANKENMUTH - The 11th Annual Hospice of Hope Benefit Dinner was a big success Wednesday, Jan. 13, with more than 300 people attending at the Bavarian Inn Lodge.

Tess Marshall

The guest speaker was life coach Tess Marshall, author of "Flying By The Seat Of My Soul." Tess is a former Michigan resident, mother of four, and wife of 38 years.

Tess's message was one of hope. Using her own life experiences as an example, she stressed the Biblical admonition to "Fear not."

Every year, the Hospice of Hope dinner, which features classic Bavarian Inn fare, kicks off a four-week effort in the Frankenmuth area with "Hearts for Hospice."

Purple hearts are for sale for $1 at various businesses to help support the work of Hospice of Hope.

Hospice of Hope, part of the Lutheran Home Care Agency and a service of Lutheran Homes of Michigan, helps people and their families facing end-of-life decisions in the Saginaw valley.

As a faith-based non-profit, Lutheran Homes absorbs many of the costs associated with providing hospice medical and spiritual care through the hospice program.

Money raised at the dinner and via Hearts for Hospice offsets the cost of that help to families in the Saginaw Valley.

The money also helps support the home care agency's Camp Hope, a special bereavement camp for children who have lost loved ones as the result of a death.

For more information on Hospice of Hope and Camp Hope: www.AgingEnriched.org/hospice-of-hope