More than 500 Participate in Memorial Butterfly Releases | Photos

Over the past two weekends, we had the privilege of holding two outstanding butterfly releases, one hosted by Good Samaritan Hospice at Concordia at Villa St. Joseph in Baden, PA., Saturday, August 24, and the other hosted by Concordia Hospice of Washington at the Barn at Ike’s Place in Amity, PA., Saturday, August 31. We were blessed to have ideal weather and plenty of sunshine both days for the butterflies to make their flight! (Read more for photos)

These events benefitted our hospice mission of caring for those facing a life-limiting illness or preparing to pass into God’s Glory. Many individuals and their families are touched each year by the physical, emotional and spiritual end-of-life care they provide. Our hospice programs help patients make choices about their care and provide support for friends and families who are grieving.

In Amity, PA, over 300 guests released 500 butterflies into the sky outside of the Barn at Ike’s Place during the Concordia Hospice of Washington Butterfly Release. On the schedule for the day were children’s activities, a butterfly tree, music by Bobbie Bane and Andrew Heisey and a prayer service and dedication.

The schedule for the Good Samaritan Hospice Butterfly Release included an opening from Executive Director Roni Lucas, followed by poems and songs by several performers. A bagpipe postlude by Matt Kearns played as more than 250 guests released over 400 monarch butterflies into the sky.  

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended or assisted in making both events special and memorable. Special thanks goes out to our volunteers, who make every event that much more welcoming. Lastly, a huge thank you to our sponsors for their generous support.

Good Samaritan Hospice Butterfly Release Sponsors
• Butterfly Sponsor: Martik Brothers, Inc.
• Program Sponsor: Heritage Valley Health System
• Registration Sponsors: D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory Ltd and Thomas M. Smith Funeral Home
• Patron Sponsor: Karle Larson Architects
• Gift In-Kind Sponsors: Giant Eagle and Gordon Food Service

Concordia Hospice of Washington Butterfly Release Sponsors
• Gold Sponsors: Concordia Community Support Services, Washington Energy CO., LLC. and Washington Health Systems
• Silver Sponsors: Trinity Energy Corp.
• Event Sponsors: The Barn at Ike’s Place
• Patron Sponsors: IFFT & Palmer Associates, LLC. and Jeffreys Drug Store, Inc.
• Bronze Sponsors: The Hezzy Reese Family and Range Resources

Enjoy the pictures (click photo thumbnails to enlarge) and feel free to leave a comment below. You can also share the photos on our Facebook Page! For more information about what’s happening at Concordia, visit the Events & News page of our website or message us through our online Contact Form.

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