31st Annual Walk to Remember
On October 13th, we hosted our 31st Annual Walk to Remember, with over 700 parents, siblings, family members, and friends in attendance, braving the chilly, rainy weather. Despite the shortened walk, the event was a beautiful and meaningful experience for our bereaved families. We are deeply grateful to all of our sponsors, volunteers, and the organizations that generously donated products or services to support the Walk. To our families, you are the heart of this event, and it is our honor to stand with you each year to remember and celebrate your precious babies. Your strength and love inspire us, and we thank you for sharing them with us. A special thank you to Julie Stevens for the stunning Walk Program artwork, created in honor of her daughter, Reese Valentina Wiltrout-Stevens.
The WNYPBN, Inc. Memorial Walk, held annually in October, provides a special opportunity to honor Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
Each year, families, friends, and healthcare professionals come together to remember the approximately 870,000 babies lost each year due to miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, or early infant death. For parents who have experienced perinatal loss, the Walk offers a chance to listen to touching songs and poems, plant a tree, and connect with others who understand the pain of loss, while celebrating the lives of their beloved children.
WALK TO REMEMBER:
Butterfly Sponsor: Lombardo Funeral Home
Flower Sponsor: Perna, Dengler, Roberts Funeral Home
Supporting Sponsors: Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo, Trillium Courtyard Florists, Angel Gowns of WNY, Medal Chasers, Mischler’s Florist & Greenhouse, Bridget’s Battle – DJ Tom Schuh, Anne Marie Swartz Photography, Buffalo Composite Squadron #1 – Civil Air Patrol, The Wilson Support Center, Essential Care for Children
The “Elegant Evening to Remember” celebrates the dedication of those who have supported the WNYPBN and its bereaved community. This event features an awards ceremony recognizing physicians, nurses, volunteers, and organizations for their outstanding dedication to our local loss community. It includes a cocktail reception, sit-down dinner, and opportunities to bid on auction items created in memory of lost babies.
If you would like to nominate someone for one of these awards, reach out to the WNYPBN office with your nomination. This is a great chance to honor those who have made a significant impact on the community and to contribute to the ongoing support and remembrance efforts.
Thank you to Jeremy and Molly White for their annual fundraising campaign with 26Shirts, in honor of their babies Zoe, Lincoln, Miles, and Brecken.
This year, Thin Man Brewery joined the “Fall is Elite” collaboration. This event kicked off with a two week campaign by 26Shirts that featured the original artwork for Fall is Elite 2022. On October 16th, Jeremy and Molly, along with Thin Man Brewery, hosted a launch party featuring their “Fall is Elite” IPA which was created just for this collaboration! The launch party featured a sports raffle as well as a watch party for the Bills and Kansas City game. It was a great win and an even greater event! Thank you Jeremy and Molly White, 26Shirts, and Thin Man Brewery. We are humbled and grateful for your ongoing support, the awareness you bring to WNYPBN, and the generous combined donation total of $11,094.08 from this years “Fall is Elite” collaboration!
The Original RED Buffalo Lawn Ornament was thought up in Buffalo, designed in Buffalo and is produced just outside of Buffalo… even the box it comes in is from Buffalo. There’s a lot of Buffalo in this buffalo!
Thank you to Ryan’s Reason for the donation of $5,000 to our Wings of Love
Memorial Fund, in honor of their son, Ryan McGowan (December 8, 2014). To
learn more about Ryan’s Reason, Inc. visit Ryan Reason Website Here
A heartfelt thank you to Bill and Kristina Craig of Medal Chasers for hosting the “Forever in Our Hearts” Virtual Event in honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. This year’s event brought together participants from around the world, including virtual attendees from Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Ireland! We’re excited to share that the event raised $628 for our Wings of Love Memorial Fund. This annual event features a unique medal design each year, and we’re so grateful for their continued support.
Due to the restrictions and safety precautions required by New York State because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the WNYPBN has to restructure our annual events. In response to this series of unfortunate circumstances, the creative team has come up with alternatives to our annual events, while still paying tribute to your beautiful babies and helping others who are in need of assistance after the loss of their babies, while keeping our community safe.
Please visit our Events tab for information about our upcoming 2022 Events and Fundraisers. We hope you are all able to participate in one or all of our events as we adapt to our “New Normal” and continue to stay in good health and be safe. We are grateful for your support!
Thank you, Emily, Christine, Sue, Kelly and our Event Volunteer Committee
