Welcome to the Sweet Pea Project's Blog, part of the Sweet Pea Project's effort to create a supportive and compassionate community for those of us affected by the death of a child. Here you will find updates on the Sweet Pea Project, as well as anything going on in the world that relates to childloss. If you have a suggestion for a topic you would like to see discussed here, I'd love to hear it. Please make sure you stop by the official website, www.sweetpeaproject.org and feel free to email me for any reason at anytime at Stephanie@sweetpeaproject.org.
peace, Stephanie Cole (Madeline's Mom)

Friday, August 12, 2011

2nd Annual Remembrance Gathering Invitation

Last year, on a mild October evening at the end of a rainy day, over two hundred people gathered together in a grassy field to pause for a few moments and remember the children that all too briefly graced our lives. The only sound was the beautiful music of a gently played guitar and the names of our children being said aloud, one by one. We stood together and looked up at the sky, watching as green balloon after green balloon rose up into the air, passed through a patch of amazing yellow light that illuminated the treetops and disappeared into the distance. Each balloon quietly carried with it a note written on seed paper for a deeply loved and desperately missed little child, and later that evening when the balloons burst, the letters drifted back down to the ground where they were reclaimed by the earth. Eventually wildflowers would sprout from these love letters to our children.

Sweet Pea Project will be holding this event again this year on October 15th, National Remembrance Day for families who have experienced the death of a baby. Just as we did last year, precautions are being taken to make sure that this is an eco-friendly event. We are using only sap-based biodegradable balloons, vegetable dyed raffia and compostable seed paper.

Sweet Pea Project would like to invite you to join us for our 2nd Annual Remembrance Gathering at Long's Park in Lancaster, PA, on Saturday, October 15th at 6pm. Please be sure to arrive between 5-5:30pm to pick up your balloons and seed paper and write notes to insert in your balloons before inflation. This family friendly event is free, but registration is requested. If you would like to attend please email Nicole@sweetpeaproject.org with the following information by October 1:

1. The name of the child(ren) you are remembering
2. The number of balloons your family will need
*Please note: Each guest may receive one balloon per child remembered. For example, if your family of 4 is remembering twins you may request 8 balloons.

Sean Cox & Company will provide quiet instrumentals and Grace Photos has volunteered to capture the beauty of the evening in photographs. This year's sponsors include Spacht Funeral Home, Baby's Silkie, Charles F Snyder Funeral Home & Crematory, Darrenkamps and Herman & Susan Zeager.

Several other Sweet Pea Project affiliated Remembrance Gatherings will be happening across the country on the same day, if you can't make it to our official gathering in Pennsylvania perhaps you can attend one somewhere else. All affiliated gatherings are listed at the bottom of our event page and fliers for each gathering may be viewed in our facebook album: Sweet Pea Project affiliated Remembrance Gatherings 2011.

Please take a minute to visit www.sweetpeaproject.org/remember for more details and to view a video from last year's event. I hope you will join us, either at Long's Park or in spirit, as we stop to remember the little ones whose tiny footprints have made such lasting marks on our hearts.

Please feel free to share this flier with anyone who may be interested. Everyone is welcome.


Click on the image to enlarge

1 comment:

  1. What a great idea! I may do this to honor my special baby on the anniversary of his death. I wish I was in PA to participate.

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