The death of a child is traumatic. To support families experiencing loss, the Fishers Parks Foundation will conduct a ceremony and picnic June 13 in memory of children whose names have been recently added to pavers at the Angel of Hope Memorial.
The Angel of Hope project aims to provide solace and community with what will be its second dedication. Families who have lost a child can dedicate a paving stone in their memory in the plaza of the Angel of Hope Memorial. All the names of the deceased children will be read during a ceremony.
“We did our first dedication on Dec. 6 (2020), where we dedicated 25 names. We’ve had a few since then, so this will be our summer dedication,” Fishers Park and Recreation Foundation President Lisa Knowles said. “In December, one Angel Family asked that we have an event for them to get to know the other families, so it seemed like a good fit to add something low-key to our summer dedication.”
The Angel of Hope plaza is adjacent to the Historic Ambassador House, 10595 Eller Rd., Fishers. The location fit a specific set of parameters that the foundation was seeking when the City of Fishers approved the project in 2019.
“We took a look at it, talked to (the City of Fishers) and started looking at sites for something for families who have lost children,” Knowles said. “We wanted some place that could be private but not secluded, maybe a little less noisy than with someplace with a playground, someplace beautiful where a family can grieve and heal and have a spot that was peaceful and beautiful for them.”
The dedication of names will be at 7 p.m., preceded by a picnic for Angel of Hope families or other families of deceased children, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
