by Linda Stratton on 2013-12-18
The 14th annual Lights for Little Lives Memorial Walk will again take place on Dec. 31 in Loma Linda. The Unforgettables Foundation has presented this beloved memorial walk, candle lighting, child naming and award ceremony on New Year’s Eve for over a decade. Hundreds reflect and celebrate the lives and journeys of children who have passed but will forever be remembered in the hearts of those who knew them.
“The Light for Little Lives Memorial Walk brings together families, friends and the community to remember the many children who have died too soon,” said Tim Evans, Founder of The Unforgettables Foundation. “The event is another way the organization is able to further touch the lives of family members and loved ones in a caring way.”
This moving event is free and open to the public as a way of remembering all children who have lost their lives. The Foundation also recognizes those who work to heal, rescue and save children. Three physicians (Richard Chinnock, M..D, John Mace, M.D. and Paul Reiman, M.D.) will receive the Top Doctor Pediatric award for their compassionate care toward area children.
The group assembles in the parking lot of the Ronald McDonald House, 11365 Anderson Street, Loma Linda, across the street from Loma Linda Children's Hospital, at 3:30 pm. A mother who lost a child in 2013 will release a dove at sunset, joined by a dozen doves in a memorial flight. Many say the dove flight, symbolic of a heavenly journey, is a key highlight of the celebratory awareness event.
After the ceremony, a three block walk will commence and be led by Boy Scouts, children, physicians, firemen, funeral professionals, foundation volunteers and faith community leaders. The walk continues down Anderson Street and ends at the Campus Hill Church where there will be a 30 minute ceremony of candle lighting and name reading. Over 25 families attend this event annually to recognize a child who has passed.
The Lights for Little Lives Memorial Walk was the very first public happening created by The Unforgettables Foundation in year one of serving families across the region. To date, over 4,000 cases have been served with financial and burial support/information from over 80 cities in Southern California. The Orange Belt Funeral Directors Association, various clergy associations and medical associations in the region collaborate with the heartwarming celebration of children, in life and in death.