Charlotte, NC-- Our Children's Memorial Walkway invites anyone grieving the loss of a child or friend of any age to attend the walkway’s 8th annual National Children’s Memorial Day Service at 2pm, Saturday, December 13, 2008. The service will take place on the memorial walkway in Frazier Park, 1201 West 4th Street.
This service corresponds with the weekend of National Children’s Memorial Day, declared by Congress as a time to remember children who have died. This is one of two major community services held at the walkway and garden each year. The service will feature a release into the sky of balloons carrying the names of children departed from this life. The theme of this year’s service is "How the dream came true!,” sharing the history of how the memorial garden came into being. Three bricks will be installed into the walkway in memory of its first president, Jewel Donaldson, whose son, Arteze McClain, was murdered. Jewel and Ms. Jerry Mudge first dreamed of a community memorial garden in 1994 to remember all children.
The walkway now includes more than 1000 bricks engraved to memorialize departed children, and the walkway and its surroundings have been built-out with the garden, benches for meditation, and statues of playing children. Additional engraved bricks may still be added for $50-$100, depending on size and length of message. Memorial benches with an engraved plaque are also available for $1500. Information on memorials is available online at www.ocmw.org.
In case of bad weather the service will be held at the Phillip O. Berry Recreation Center, 440 Tuckaseegee Road.
Our Children’s Memorial Walkway and garden is built on property of Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department. It was created in 2001 through a partnership including Park and Recreation and with several grief groups. Two new organizations joined the board this year--HUGS for Families of Suicide Victims and the Kristen Foundation for missing adults. For more information check www.ocmw.org or contact Ms. Jerry Mudge at 704 509-6603 (home) or 704 517-1696 (cell,) or sjmudge@bellsouth.net or write to P.O. Box 44153, Charlotte, NC 28215.
