The day will grow still for tens of thousands of bereaved families on Dec. 11 as they observe the 15th Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting in memory of all children who have died from a ll causes at any age.
“This is a day when we join together to light candles and remember wonderful, but all too short memories, of those children who died before us,” – Patricia Loder Executive Director Compassionate Friends
The Worldwide Candle Lighting officially will be held at 7 pm for one hour although services are scheduled throughout the day in every state and as many as two dozen countries around the world.
Anyone interested in attending a service open to the public is welcome to search for one nearby through TCF’s national website listings at Worldwide Candle Lighting services. Information on hundreds of known services has been posted although many services remain unlisted.
“Our organization is uniting with sister groups, funeral homes, churches, hospitals, hospices, schools, and community groups in observing this day,” says Loder.
The Worldwide Candle Lighting was featured in a letter published in yesterday’s (Sunday’s) Dear Abby column. Coverage of the event in the U.S. will include hundreds of newspapers, as well as radio and television stations, says Mrs. Loder.
Those remembering children also have the opportunity during the event to post their thoughts in a Remembrance Book on TCF’s national website. Last year more than 5,000 messages in many different languages were posted in a little over 24 hours from over 60 countries worldwide.
For more information on the event, visit Worldwide Candle Lighting or call TCF’s National Office at 877-969-0010. The organization, which has more than 630 U.S. chapters, will observe the day on its Facebook Page plus its Online Support Community, which will have extended hours during Sunday’s event.
