Worldwide Candle Lighting

*Remembering With Millions of Candles * *Hundreds of Services*

Oak Brook, IL—Love doesn’t end with death. Families that have had a child die understand that.  And with that understanding, plans are underway in hundreds of areas across the country, as well  as around the globe, for the 15th Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting December  11, 2011.

Held annually the second Sunday in December, the Worldwide Candle Lighting unites family and friends who light candles for one hour to honor and remember children who have died  from any cause, at any age from pre-birth to full maturity.  As candles burn down in one time zone, they are then lit in the next, creating a virtual 24-hour wave of light as the observance continues around the world.

This year, our TCF East Of the River CT Chapter will join the world’s largest candlelighting at the private home of

Cyndi’s parents, Charlie and Anita Beeler
75 Country Lane
Vernon, CT
6:00 PM to 8:30 PM

All chapter members, their families and friends are invited to attend.  Also welcome are any bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings who may have never attended a TCF EOTR CT Chapter meeting, but would like to become part of the gathering.  Those attending our chapter’s candle lighting are asked to bring an item or two to contribute to our Pot Luck Supper, Snacks and Desserts.  We will be running a slide show presentation of all of our ‘children’.  Photos can be submitted electronically by emailing them to Bettie-Jeanne at  TCFEastOfTheRiverCT@gmail.com    Share a few words about your child’s  or sibling’ life; their likes or dislikes, what made them laugh, what made them special.  If you have a poem or reading that you would like to contribute, please email also.  (This is NOT a Holiday Party – those trying to avoid Holiday decorations and festivities can feel comfortable in these surroundings.)

An RSVPis appreciated and can be submitted by the form on the bottom of the blog article:
A Sea Of Light In Memory of Our Children
Candle Lighting RSVP
which will send an email to:
Bettie-Jeanne at
TCFEastOfTheRiverCT@gmail.com
To reach Bettie at her home, phone  860-870-7581 and leave a voice message.

A list of other Connecticut and other Candle Lighting events can be found on the National Website under News and Events /Worldwide Candle Lighting. 

“The Worldwide Candle Lighting allows grieving families to know that their children have not been and never will be forgotten, whether that child died 60 years ago or yesterday,” says Patricia Loder, executive director of The Compassionate Friends. “This event surpasses all artificial, religious, and cultural boundaries, allowing us to mourn as one when death robs the world of its most valuable resource.”

All allied organizations, community groups, churches and houses of worship, funeral homes, hospitals, and local community groups are invited to participate. In past years The Compassionate Friends has been joined by chapters from several organizations including, MISS, MADD, Parents of Murdered Children, SIDS Network, Gilda’s Club, and Bereaved Parents of the USA. Services open to the public are held in every state, Washington DC and Puerto Rico, as well as some 15 additional countries around the world. Tens of thousands of families also join in quietly, lighting candles informally in their homes. There is a Remembrance Book on TCF’s national website at www.compassionatefriends.org open the day of the event to receive messages of love. Last year more than 5,000 messages were posted in the short 24 hour-span.

Last year more than 550 services were submitted and posted on TCF’s national website.  The Compassionate Friends has more than 630 chapters in the United States offering support  to bereaved families after the death of a child. To learn more about The Compassionate Friends on a National Level and its many programs for bereaved families, call toll-free 877-969-0010 or visit them on the web at www.compassionatefriends.org   Also on Facebook The Compassionate Friends/USA   ♥