Please feel free to join our groups for tips and ideas on how to start a walk or ceremony.

Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/341484219218997/

Yahoo Email Group:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/pail-ceremonies-and-walks/?yguid=226323263

To Organize a Walk or Ceremony:

• Start as early as possible organizing your event.
• Check your town’s city ordinance to see if a permit is needed for a park or other location of your choice.
• Decide on walk date, course and measure off the distance if you plan to do a walk.
• Notify other parents, parent support groups, relatives, friends, hospitals, churches, and neighbors of the walk.
• Enlist other parents to help with this if possible.
• Create a web page for references of activities if you can.
• Order T-shirts if you can. This may help offset some of your costs. I have seen people take pre-orders for t-shirts and on the front the t-shirt will have the name of your walk or ceremony and on the back a list of names and dates of babies whose parents are attending.
• Order pregnancy loss pins, magnets, silicone bracelets and have them available for sale. This can also offset some of the cost that could be involved. Any left over funds can be given either to a local organization for pregnancy loss or one of the larger organizations online.
• Use a press release for media coverage and handout flyers to churches, community groups, hospital staff, and funeral directors. in your area.
• Send information to newspaper, radio, and TV calendar of events (free service) at least 3 weeks in advance of the walk date.
• Contact church groups, bakeries, grocers, or hospitals to provide refreshments.
• Take pictures for future reference, web page photos, and media.
• Suggestions for ending walk:
• Release balloons
• Release butterflies
• Plant a tree
• Have walkers join hand and sing a song, share poems, thoughts
• Create a memorial service
• Have a speaker to read the names and dates of babies at the ceremony.
• The important thing is that YOU DO IT!!!