On September 27-28, more than 500 community members joined in the celebration of Memorial Hospital’s 75th Anniversary. The festivities spanned two days and featured a wide range of events that brought together hospital departments, local vendors, community organizations, and families from across the area.
Memorial Hospital honored its legacy with a special commemorative program that included a performance by the community choir, led by Brad Culpepper, Director of Hospitality at Memorial Hospital, and a flag ceremony conducted by local veterans. A memorable highlight of the event was the unexpected presentation of the Hancock County Honor Guard medallion to Memorial Hospital’s CEO Ada Bair, graciously bestowed by veterans, along with a special proclamation delivered by Mayor Gary Smith.
Saturday’s celebration saw nearly 50 vendors, hospital departments, and community organizations come together for a vibrant street fair-style event. Kids enjoyed activities like face painting, a glitter hair station hosted by the Diagnostic Imaging Department, slime-making with the Lab team (which was so popular they ran out of supplies), Lego building blocks presented by HR (a fun nod to the “building blocks” of the organization), and multiple bounce houses that kept the excitement going all afternoon. A highlight of the weekend was the Water Lantern Festival held Saturday evening, which not only offered a beautiful visual experience but also raised over $700 for the Memorial Hospital Foundation Endowment.
Sunday featured the incredibly popular Kids Fish for Fun event, with more than 180 children from across the region participating. The event brought families together for a fun-filled day of outdoor activities and friendly competition.
“Thank you to everyone who participated, volunteered, and attended,” said Ada Bair, CEO at Memorial Hospital. “Your support made this milestone celebration truly special and helped us to celebrate our theme, ‘Honoring Our Past, Inspiring Our Future.’” To learn more about Memorial Hospital 75th anniversary celebration, visit MHTLC.ORG.
####
Pictured: Crowd gathers at Memorial Hospital’s Water Lantern Festival as part of the anniversary celebration on Saturday evening, Sept. 27, 2025.
Links: https://www.mhtlc.org/about/celebrating-75-years-honoring-our-past-inspiring-our-future/
