Abels and French-Hand Funeral Homes of Grundy and Hardin Counties will host the 7th Annual Cherish the Child Walk to Remember at 6:00 on Thursday, May 5 at the Reinbeck United Methodist Church, 505 Spruce Street in Reinbeck.

Robyn Plocher, AfterCare Specialist for the funeral homes explains, “This evening is set aside as a time when families can remember their precious children who have died at any age-from miscarriage through adulthood. Our theme this year is Stories of Hope and Transformation. We are very excited about the speakers who will be sharing their stories this year.” Those speakers include Lacy Tripp of Grundy Center, Char Manlick of Reinbeck, Tami Litchenberg of Marshalltown and Teske Drake of Sheldahl.

Check in for the walk is from 5:30 6:15 p.m. The Walk begins at 6:20 followed by refreshments and an Information & Resource Fair back at the church. At 7 p.m. the Service of Remembrance will begin. Perhaps the most meaningful moment of the evening comes at the conclusion of the Service of Remembrance when all move outdoors for a ritual balloon release. Plocher explains, “This is a time set apart when, for just a few hours, it is all right for families to name their loss, to chuckle at a special remembrance and to shed tears. They experience a sense of community with others who have known similar losses. In a culture that expects us to ‘get over’ our grief and move on in a matter of week or months, people need safe places to express the pain of losing a precious child who will never be forgotten. Cherish the Child is one of those safe places.”

Pre-registration is strongly encouraged and will be received until the day before the event. Event tee-shirts are also available, but must be pre-ordered by April 15th. For more information or to register for the event you may phone Susan at 319.345.2238 or email Robyn at robyn@abelsfuneralhomes.com