Under clear blue skies, hundreds of people gathered at the Kiwanis Bandshell at the North Bay waterfront Saturday in anticipation of the 14th Annual Live Butterfly Release.
The release is a fundraiser for the Near North Palliative Care Network (NNPCN), a visiting hospice.
”Our mission is to enhance the comfort, dignity, and quality of life of individuals with a terminal illness, and to offer bereavement support throughout the community. And that is what we are raising money to continue to do,” explained hospice coordinator Scott Gardiner.
According to legend, by making a wish and giving the butterfly its freedom, the wish will be taken to the heavens and granted.
Among those gathered were Whitney Pyper and her mother Mary, both from southern Ontario.
It was their first time attending the event.
The women released four butterflies in honour of family members and friends.
“I feel happy and now that I say that I’m tearing up,” said Whitney.
“It is all the emotion. I’m happy because the butterflies are beautiful and life continues, but I’m sad because I miss them.”
Mattawa resident Claudette Desroches released six butterflies also with family members and friends in mind.
“In 2013 my mother was involved, receiving palliative care. And I have supported them since because they had done such a wonderful job with my mom” said Deroches who went on to explain her feelings after releasing the butterflies.
“Everything from happiness to sadness. You’re happy because it brings you closer to someone even though they have been gone for several years maybe, and you think about them again. And you’re sad because they’re not with you, but there is peace. You lose yourself in your butterfly when you release it.”
All of the services offered by NNPCN are completely free to the community.
“So the money raised goes to support services such as our palliative support, our grief and bereavement support, friendly visits for seniors, and our adult day program of which we have many different events throughout the year. So it goes to help us continue to offer services to the vulnerable members of our community,” explained the Hospice coordinator.
The NNPCN coverage area is quite extensive.
“We go from North Bay as far east as Mattawa, to West Nipissing just past Sturgeon Falls, north to Temagami, and then south to the Novar area, said Gardiner.
“Without our many volunteers, we could not do what we do.”
A total of 650 butterflies were released in the park, matching last year's total.
The official dollar amount has still to be tabulated.
“We don’t actually have a target number in terms of money raised, but we would really love to hit in the neighbourhood of $30,000 to $35,000,” said Gardiner.
“In this past fiscal year, we assisted directly and indirectly almost 6-thousand people. And if you saw the numbers before and since COVID, that number has just exploded. And our bereavement and grief support programs are the bulk of that explosion. And so that makes up a lot of what we do and what we need.”
Donations may be made throughout the year by going online to nnpcn.com or by stopping by the main office located in St. Joseph’s Motherhouse.
This year is the second year the event has been held in person since the COVID-19 pandemic.
