Gary Salvadori was the obvious choice to serve as master of ceremony. After all, he was the chairman of the committee organizing the Tree of Lights event December 8, 2009 at Sutter Solano Cancer Center.

His role meant much more to Salvadori than just running the show. The ceremony was a celebration to honor cancer survivors and remember those people who have lost their lives to the disease.

For Salvadori, it was a time to think about his father. Robert Salvadori was a firefighter in Massachusetts who died well before his time, according to his son, after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

“Those were the days when firefighters went into fires without respirators,” Gary Salvadori recalled. “The cancer was occupationally-induced. It finally caught up to him.”

The ceremony turned emotional when the names of lost loved ones were read from the Book of Memories. Gary Salvadori joined those who made donations in memory of a loved one. He did so in tribute to his grandmother Eleanor, who passed away at Sutter Solano Medical Center.

Eleanor died after traveling to Vallejo to visit her grandson.

“Both of them (Robert and Eleanor) were on my mind” during the ceremony, Gary Salvadori said.

Donations also funded the five Dr. Trewin Memorial Scholarships that were awarded to Solano County students who have interest in pursuing careers in health care. The recipients were Tram Do, Lawrence “Boogie” Molina, Rochelle Pillazar, Angie Hammons and Raina Lenzy.

The generosity of donors generated 33 gifts for a total of $1,835.

Contributions also came from in-kind donors Carol Larson of Georgia House Graphics, Minuteman Press, the Sutter Solano engineering department and the Vallejo Times-Herald.

Larson also served on the Tree of Lights committee along with Terry Glubka, Jan Kerr, Robert Butler, Maryanne Hayes, Reuben Williams and Greg Trewin – the son of the late Dr. Merle Trewin.

Santa Claus paid a special visit to the ceremony and handed out candy canes and teddy bears to all of the children in attendance. Thanks to Genentech for donating the teddy bears for the event and for other youngsters hospitalized at Sutter Solano Medical Center.

The honor of lighting the tree went to 7-year-old Meyca Albano and 5-year-old Fleur Albano, who were the winners of the Tree of Lights art contest.

Music was provided by the Solano Community College Vocal Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Kristy Juliano.

The ceremony was sponsored by the Sutter Solano Charitable Foundation and the Volunteer Guild at Sutter Solano Medical Center.