Highmark Caring Place unveils "Illuminating Hope" art mural at the Pennsylvania State Capitol
Mural of 2,300 illuminated butterflies handmade by and for grieving children carries remembrances of loved ones who have died and messages of hope for the future
What: Highmark Caring Place, A Center for Grieving Children, Adolescents and Their Families unveils its 2017 Illuminating HOPE art installation Sept. 11 on the lobby steps of the State Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa.
Over 2,300 butterflies handmade by and for grieving children and their families, many personalized with the names of loved ones who have died and decorated with touches of personal meaning, are lit and brought together in the shape of a butterfly named HOPE.
Forty butterflies carry the names of the passengers and crew of Flight 93.
When: Sept. 11, 2017 through Sept. 15, 2017
Where: Lobby steps of the State Capitol, Harrisburg
Illuminating HOPE will be displayed throughout the Capitol region during the fall leading up to Children’s Grief Awareness Day on Nov. 16. The mural will also be displayed in the following locations in Central Pa.:
- Oct. 9–13, Harrisburg International Airport
- Oct. 16–20, Jewish Community Center
- Oct. 23–27, Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency
- Nov. 6–10, Main Highmark building, Center Street
- Nov. 13–17, The Caring Place, Lemoyne
Why: The aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 was a watershed moment in raising the nation’s awareness of the lasting impact of death on young children. For the past fourteen years, the Highmark Caring Place has offered peer-based grief support programs free of charge in the Harrisburg area.
Interviews: Psychologist Terese Vorsheck, Highmark Caring Place Director
Media contact: Leilyn Perri, 717-302-4243, leilyn.perri@highmarkhealth.org
