At 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1, the lights will go out at the St. Andrews Campus of LincolnHealth.

It will be as if an old lady had stepped out of her ball gown and left it for the children to play dress-up.

Hints of lavender perfume will still cling to the lace; and perhaps the remains of a corsage will be found in the folds. But the Old Girl is gone and we need to say goodbye.

The Boothbay Region Health and Wellness Foundation invites anyone in the community who wants to say adieu to join us in doing so. We plan to meet at 7 p.m. in the Boothbay Town Office where we will have a drawing for the St. Andrews Heart Quilt made and donated by Freddie Luke. Anyone who has a special memory of the hospital, should write it on a piece of paper and it will be placed in a box of memories we will be filling.

It is important that we not forget why the hospital was as great as it was — we will honor all of the hard work of the doctors, nurses, and staff — the many gifts of caring that they gave to the community through the years. This is not about loss. This is about thanking those people who are the heart and soul of healthcare on the peninsula.

After the drawing, it was planned that the group would go to the parking lot at the St. Andrews Campus where business would have closed for the day and, with candles and flashlights, stand outside the entrance and say our goodbyes to Our Old Friend.

In response to a request for permission to assemble, Jim Donovan, always concerned about the safety of the community, has refused us permission to come on the property. He has said, “The St. Andrews ED is not closing. It is converting to an urgent care center that will continue to provide high quality care for the residents of the Boothbay region. We do not view this as a farewell, at all. Such a gathering will only perpetuate the ‘St. Andrews is closing’ myth that has caused confusion and concern among some members of the community.”

The foundation intends to say goodbye to the hospital and hello to St. Andrews Campus of LincolnHealth and the urgent care center. It was hoped that this peaceful gathering would serve to bring closure to a still wounded community.

The foundation requests your presence at the Boothbay Town Hall at 7 p.m. on October 1. All we want to do is say goodbye to an Old Friend. Bring your flashlight!

“We need in every bay and community a group of angelic troublemakers.” -Bayard Rustin