Ways to Participate in Children's Grief Awareness Day
See all the ways that you can take part in observing Children’s Grief Awareness Day—all year round!

Virtual Children's Grief Awareness Day
On Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, the Highmark Caring Place will host the 2023 VIRTUAL Children's Grief Awareness Day.
An outline of the day's presentations and activities is shown below.
The videos will be available on youtube.com/HighmarkCaringPlace for viewing at any time beginning on Nov. 16.
2023 Presentations
- Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh Steelers) Presentation and conversation with grieving children who attend the Highmark Caring Place (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- AEW Wrestling Interview with Brodie Lee Jr., 11-year-old son of AEW Wrestling Legend Brodie Lee (1979–2020), on Finding Hope in Grief (Tampa Bay, Florida)
- The Invisible String Book Introduction & Reading by New York Times Best-Selling Author Patrice Karst (Ventura, California)
- The Invisible String Activity presented by the Highmark Caring Place
- Here for You Cards of Support Illustration Tutorial by Artist & Illustrator Luke Flowers (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
- Create Your Own Card of Support Activity presented by the Highmark Caring Place
- Preview of the Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters vs. Saginaw Spirit Special Children's Grief Awareness Day Promotional Hockey Game (Friday, November 17)
- Interview with Brett McCutcheon about The Ocean Five Years, Brett's musical tribute written in loving memory of his brother Ryan (Wexford, Pennsylvania)
- Featuring the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and vocals by June Bracken and The Voice Finalist Chris Jamison
- Pause Naturally: Finding Eco-friendly Rituals to Help Us Take Time for Our Grief 3 Presentation by Kiri Meyer, Bereavement Programs Manager, Eluna (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
- Flipping Your Grief Support Scripts presented by National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG)
- Supporting Kidds A Grief Activity for Kids and Families (Hockessin, Delaware)
- Mandala Weaving/Happy Drum Activity presented by The Hummingbird Program, Penn State Health Children's Hospital (Hershey, Pennsylvania)
- Moment of Silence in Memory of those who have died, and in Honor of children grieving those losses
- Pause to Listen: Beats That Take You Back Reveal of the 2023 Spotify Grief Tracks Playlist
- Songs submitted via our social media channels that help us feel supported and/or remind us of our loved ones
- Illuminating Hope Create a memorial butterfly to add to the 2023 virtual mosaic mural at hope.highmarkcaringplace.com.
2022 Presentations
Welcome
- Children's Grief Awareness Day Kick-Off Highmark Caring Place (Terese LaVallee, Executive Director–Pittsburgh, Erie, Harrisburg & Warrendale, Pa.)
Preschool Block
- Book Reading & Activity by author of The Goodbye Book (Todd Parr–Berkeley, CA)
- The Healing Chickadee & her Tweethearts Introduction and Sing-Along (Terry Clarke Murphy–Westminster, Md. & Christina Connors–Greenwich, Conn.)
Elementary Block
- Presentation and Activities by author of A Parent's Guide to Managing Childhood Grief (Katie Lear–Charlotte, N.C.)
- Presentation for Those Supporting Grieving Elementary-Aged Children (Katie Lear–Charlotte, N.C.)
- Book Reading and Activity by artist of My Blue Is Happy (Catia Chien–São Paulo, Brazil)
- Simile Activity by author of My Blue Is Happy (Jessica Young–Ontario, Canada)
Middle/High School Block
- Grief Maze Activity (Tori Rehak, Brighter Days Grief Center–Eden Prairie, Minn.)
- Presentation to Those Supporting Grieving Teens (Corrie Sirota, Myra’s Kids–Montreal, Quebec)
Story Reading and Activity by "What's Your Grief?" (Eleanor Haley–Baltimore, Md.)
Community Block
- Presentation on the Importance of Crisis Response Dogs (Doug Dunbar, HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response–Erie, Pa.)
- Presentation and Activity on Drug Overdose Deaths by author of Someone I Love Died from a Drug Overdose (Melody Ray–Ebensburg, Pa.)
"We Laugh, Because… Grief" Grief Talks Webinar (Highmark Caring Place, Pa.)
Grief Cooks by Family Hospice, Part of UPMC (Elizabeth Schandelmeier & Laura Rausch, Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Preview of Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters vs. Saginaw Spirit special Children's Grief Awareness Day Hockey Game (original game postponed because of weather; rescheduled Erie Otters vs. Windsor Spitfires game played on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022)
Special Guest Speaker: Amanda Huber from AEW Wrestling (Tampa Bay, Fla.)
Family Block
- Special Guest Speaker: Brian Griese, former NFL Quarterback & Founder of Judi's House for Grieving Children and Families (Denver, Colo.)
- "The Worry Monster Box" Activity Hannah Pan, Judi's House
Presentation on Where to Find Grief Support (National Alliance for Children's Grief, Lubbock, Texas)
Children's Grief Awareness Day Closing Terese LaVallee
- 2022 Illuminating Hope Mosaic Mural reveal
- Moment of Remembrance
- Special Thank You for Supporting Children's Grief Awareness Day
See recordings of the presentations and activities from the 2021 virtual event.
See recordings of the presentations and activities from the 2020 virtual event.
Illuminating HOPE
After a loved one dies, there is a sense in which life feels darker, as if some light and color are drained from the world.
The Highmark Caring Place invites you to help shine a light of hope in this darkness through our Virtual Illuminating HOPE campaign.
Illuminating HOPE is a one of a kind gathering of virtual butterflies, each one a message of love and honor and support. People from across the world create and contribute virtual butterflies:
- In MEMORY of loved ones who have died
- In HONOR of a child or adult who is grieving
- In SUPPORT of grieving children, adults, and families everywhere
The butterflies are added to a special Butterfly Garden on the Illuminating HOPE website. These messages of transformation and hope show children that they are not alone that they are cared about and supported in their grief.
Seen as a whole, this garden is beacon of hope to all who are grieving the death of a loved one.
Go to HOPE.HighmarkCaringPlace.com to participate in our virtual Illuminating HOPE.
Holding On To HOPE

When someone we love dies, it hurts, sometimes more than we ever thought it could hurt. Although it can seem as if the intense pain will never go away, it can ease over time. Grief lasts a lifetimewe will miss them foreverbut there is HOPE.
In those times that it hurts the most, we can hold on to the hope that "it won't always hurt so bad."
We invite you to join us in Holding On To HOPE.
Will you Hold On To HOPE?
Show grieving children "I care and I am here."
How to Participate
Create a Holding On To HOPE tribute placard to show your support:

- Download the "Holding On To HOPE" image below and print it out
- On the placard, let people know WHO or HOW:
- WHO you're Holding On To HOPE for
- Or HOW you're Holding On To HOPE
- Then share a photo on social media using #childgriefday
WHO you're Holding On To HOPE for:
- Is there a grieving child that you are keeping in mind? You might add their name or initials to your sign.
- Are you a grieving child (or adult) yourself? You could Hold On To HOPE in memory of someone you love. Who is that person, and what memories do you want to share about them?
- Do you know a group or an organization that works to support grieving children? You can Hold On To HOPE in support of this group. Who is the organization, and what do they do to make you proud of their work?
- Or you may simply want to Hold On To HOPE in support of all grieving children and send out HOPE from yourself, your family or your group.
HOW you’re Holding On To HOPE:
In what way or ways will you help grieving children find hope? You can:

- Educate yourself about the needs of grieving children
- Volunteer your time with an organization that works to support grieving children
- Raise awareness of what these children experience, and of their need for support
Download the "Holding On To HOPE" PDF and print it for yourself.
HOPE the Butterfly was created to spread this message of hope to grieving children across the world. No one can just take away a child's grief. No one can bring back the person who has died. But we can show grieving children that they're not alone. We can show them we care. We can show them we're there for them.
Grieving children can hold on to our support, our care. Grieving children can hold on to hope.
Other Activities
Many other activities, large and small, can raise awareness of grieving children. Look through the activities described here, or come up with some of your own, and do what you can to spread the word to those around you of the impact of death on children and of the importance of support in helping them to find HOPE in the midst of their grief.
Important Considerations as You Become Involved in Children's Grief Awareness Day Activities
As an important person in the life of children, there are a few things that are important for you to be aware of as you become involved in Children's Grief Awareness Day:
- The purpose of Children's Grief Awareness Day is to call attention to the issue of children's grief, not to any particular child or children who have suffered a loss. Some children will want their grief recognized while others will prefer to keep it private. Always be certain to check with any child before calling attention to his or her circumstances.
- The activities of Children's Grief Awareness Day can cause a possible "trigger" reaction in those who have had someone close to them die, regardless of how much time has passed since the death. Be alert for signs of grief reactions and be prepared to provide support as needed.
- If you are in a school setting, all personnel should be aware of any Children's Grief Awareness Day activities whether or not they are directly involved. Parents and guardians should be made aware of any planned activities as well. All messages used in conjunction with any activity should be appropriate to the developmental age of the children involved.
The most basic way to participate in Children’s Grief Awareness Day is to have as many people as possible—children and adults—wear blue. Publicity about the reason for wearing blue—to show awareness of grieving children—allows the entire community to know what Children's Grief Awareness Day is about.
Activities for families
The descriptions of the following activities are oriented mostly toward groups or organizations, but many of them can also be easily adapted for families or individuals. As you read through the list of options, see what would work best for you and your family!
Publicizing your activities
If you're planning an event for Children's Grief Awareness Day, let people in your area know what will be coming up by publishing announcements in media including bulletin boards and newsletters, Facebook pages and websites. Look here for ideas on how to word these announcements in the weeks and days leading up to your event.
Activities
Please take some time to look at the many activities that have been shared with us from partner organizations over the years. If you have additional ideas for activities, please share them with us. We will highlight as many as possible.
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Grief education |
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Holding On To HOPE Pledge |
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Local grief support programs |
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Social media |
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Facebook |
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Spread the Word |
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Blue |
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Profile picture |
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Information table and posters |
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Artistic displays |
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Local events |
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Blue out |
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Blue decorations |
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HOPE illumination |
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Aerial photograph |
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Butterfly formation |
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Memory wall |
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Butterfly release |
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Fundraisers |
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HOPE chains |
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Signed T-shirts |
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Art show |
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Videos |
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Public officials |
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Bake sale |
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Flash mob |
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Face painting |
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Thumbprint tree |
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Butterfly masks |
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Butterfly magnets |
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Banners |
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Memory ribbons |
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HOPE display |
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Butterfly paintings |
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Luminaries |
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Decorated T-shirts |
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Wall of hope |