Local Voices
Connie Simon
Sunday, August 21, was a beautiful day for the inaugural “Butterflies In The Park” fundraising event put on by Hospice of the Calumet Area. Hundreds of people of all ages gathered at Wicker Memorial Park in Highland to “Cherish Life.”
Smiles and tears were part of that process. A heartfelt poem was read before ticket-holders released over 200 butterflies to cherish the life of their loved ones. Seeing the hope in their faces as they watched their butterfly fly out of the pouch and into the sky, was such a sweet experience! Some butterflies gave us a special treat by hanging out and giving precious butterfly kisses on our fingers and toes!
Adrianne May, CEO of Hospice of the Calumet Area, said, “We were looking for creative ways for more family-orientated events. Children are affected too, as when a grandparent or parent goes through a hospice situation. We like to make it a more normal end-of-life process.”
Kathy Smith had made 25 acrylic butterflies for participants to find in a “butterfly hunt” after the release. Those who found them received generous gifts provided by local sponsors, including door prizes. There were many stations of games and photo ops throughout the property, with music to soothe the soul. Damian and Joan were wonderful hosts of this beautiful event. Rebecca and a slew of wonderful volunteers made it all happen. Hospice Artisans were also present with lovely, unique, handcrafted, and individually made items for purchase. Purchases helped to support Hospice of the Calumet Area’s mission to provide expert compassionate care for their hospice patients and families, regardless of ability to pay.
The outside veranda was filled with hope and joy during this release of more than just butterflies. For me, it was the peace of “letting go” and looking toward the future of seeing my loved one again. It’s an emotional thing, letting go, and this was such a light and precious way of releasing those feelings.
For more information go hospicecalumet.org, or call 219-922-2732.
Connie Simon
Local Voices is our version of “Letters to the Editor.” The opinions posted here are those of the writers, and posting them does not indicate endorsement by The Lansing Journal. We welcome input from fellow residents who have thoughtful things to say about topics that are important to our community. Send your submissions to The Lansing Journal with “Voices” in the subject line.
