Annual Butterfly Release and Picnic
Saturday April 27, 2024 11:30 AM
The Compassionate Friends Children's Memorial Garden Lafreniere Park, 3000 Downs Blvd, Metairie, LA 70003 Map
Bereaved families, relatives and friends who have experienced the death of a child are invited to attend The Compassionate Friends 20th Annual Butterfly Release and Picnic in remembrance of all beloved children who have died.
The picnic begins at 11:30 AM at The Compassionate Friends Children's Memorial Garden. The picnic is a time to gather together to socialize, to play, to be family. There will be butterfly tattoos for the children. Families are asked to bring their own food and tables as well as chairs or blankets on which to sit.
You may come for just the butterfly release at 1:00 PM. There will be a short program of readings, poems and music. We will have approximately 300 Painted Lady butterflies to give to those in attendance. The butterflies are inside envelopes. It is an exciting and impressive sight as the envelopes are opened and the butterflies take flight! Desserts will be served after the release.
"A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam. And for a brief moment its glory and beauty belong to our world. But then it flies on again, and though we wish it could have stayed, we feel so lucky to have seen it." The Butterfly Release is not a time to mourn for our children who have died. It is a time to Celebrate That They Lived! Since early times the butterfly has symbolized renewed life. The Compassionate Friends has adopted the butterfly as one of its symbols and a sign of hope to us that our children are living in another dimension with greater beauty and freedom.
For more information please contact William or Millie Hunton at (504) 265-0581 or email tcfnola@gmail.com.
Greater New Orleans Chapter of
The Compassionate Friends
will be holding its
Annual Children's Memorial Walk and Auction
on Saturday, Oct 19, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Registration begins at 8:30 AM
Lafreniere Park, Children's Memorial Garden
3000 Downs Blvd, Metairie, LA 70003 Map
The Greater New Orleans Chapter of The Compassionate Friends invites bereaved parents, siblings, relatives and friends to set the date for a 2 mile "Walk and Auction to Remember" Oct 19, 2024.
As the world's largest self-help bereavement organization, The Compassionate Friends offers friendship, understanding, and hope to families that have experienced the death of a child. There are more than 698 chapters in the United States, including all 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The local event is patterned after The Compassionate Friends National Walk to Remember®. As many as 1,500 participated. Dozens of chapters across the country are expected to hold a local Walk to Remember during 2018.
The local Walk will start at Lafreniere Park. Following the Walk, there will be an Auction.
"You do not need to be a member of The Compassionate Friends to join with us and you do not need to walk the full 2 miles" says chapter leader William Hunton. "We welcome everyone who wants to join hands and hearts in remembering all children who have died too soon."
Registration is $20.00 online or by mail to include a walk bib to record the names of those being remembered. Participants are encouraged to seek pledges/donations which will go to the local chapter to support outreach and chapter activities.
Auction: This Walk and Auction is our chapter's only fundraiser. In order to maintain our chapter, we must raise money for our monthly meeting room expenses & refreshments, the monthly newsletter (which includes printing, postage, envelopes, labels and programs). We also purchase the butterflies for the Butterfly Release and sponsor the expenses for the Worldwide Candle Lighting Ceremony. In light of those facts, our fundraiser is detrimental to the existence of our chapter.
For the past years, the auction has generated a substantial amount of money for the chapter. Last year we profited $2000.
Our Children's Memorial Garden is in need of repair. Many seasoned grievers in 2003 put a lot of hard work into making this lovely garden in memory of our children. There are some structural concerns taking place at the garden regarding the brick walls. Our hope is to generate enough money from the auction to help address the problems at the garden.
Please consider donating items and soliciting donated items for our auction. Items that auction well are gift certificates to restaurants, Wal-Mart, Movie Theaters, grocery stores and such, craft items, jewelry and sports memorabilia.
"To live in the hearts of those who love us is not to die."
"We need not walk alone. We are The Compassionate Friends."
Click Here to Download the Registration Form
Bereaved Parents, Family and Friends are invited on
Sunday December 8, 2024 4:30 PM for our
WORLD WIDE CANDLE LIGHTING
to be held at the
Lafreniere Park Foundation Center Outdoor Patio Map
Our Annual Candle Lighting Ceremony will be Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024 at Lafreniere Park, in the Foundation Center Outdoor Patio. This is a great way to meet and get to know the members of The Compassionate Friends. Getting involved will likely help you as well as the other members! Everyone is needed and welcomed! There will be an outdoor picnic before the ceremony starting at 4:30 P.M. The picnic will be directly behind the Foundation Center in the Patio area. Please bring a Framed picture of your Child, Grandchild, or Sibling to be placed on our Memorial Table. Each family brings their own food. If you wish to bring something to share, then please prepare it individually wrapped. You will need to bring your own folding outdoor chair. I would recommend a flashlight as well. We will provide tea, lemonade, coffee, hot cocoa, and water. We start at 4:30 pm to avoid the public lines viewing the park Christmas Lights.
The ceremony of songs and poems will start shortly after 6:00 pm followed by our World Wide Candle Lighting starting at 7:00 pm. If your child's photo is not currently in our Slide Show please email me a photo at tcfnola@gmail.com with an explanation.
If you would like to help with the Candle Lighting set up, please call the TCF at (504) 265-0581. Email: tcfnola@gmail.com.
*Candles will be provided. You may bring a picture or other memento of your loved one to hold during the procession and candle lighting. We will have a Memorial Table where framed photos can be placed during the event.*
For further information you may call William at (504) 265-0581