Cancer Centers of Northern Arizona Healthcare

NAH Rocks: A rock garden to uplift patients and families

Courage painting on stone

One kind word can change someone’s whole day. That’s why a group of NAH colleagues, patients and community members organized the NAH Rock-A-Thon in March 2018 to kick off the creation of a rock garden for the Cancer Centers of Northern Arizona Healthcare.

The concept is simple but powerful: A large rock pile behind the hospital contains donated river rocks for anyone to paint with a hopeful, positive word or image and leave in the garden for patients or family member who need their spirits lifted. The finder may take the rock home if they wish. A white stone heart commemorates those who have survived and those who have passed on.

The rock garden continues to grow with the addition of a rock cart easily transported to any Flagstaff Medical Center department or office meeting. We also have baskets of painted rocks inside the Cancer Centers.

If you would like to paint a rock for the Cancer Cancers of Northern Arizona rock garden, please contact us.


Do you have an NAH Rocks story?