By Delayna Earley
The Island News
BEAUFORT – Fifteen-hundred Painted Lady butterflies were released on Saturday, April 29, during the fourth annual Release and Remember event held at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in downtown Beaufort.
The event, which is hosted by Friends of Caroline Hospice in partnership with the City of Beaufort, invited people to purchase a butterfly to release in honor of their loved ones that have passed away. Lindsay Roberg, President of Friends of Caroline, estimates that around 800 people showed up for the event.
“Everyone, no matter who you are, has experienced a really heavy loss,” Roberg said. “The harder you love the hard the loss, and a lot of people just bury those feelings. I think it’s important for us as a community to heal and know that you’re not alone.”
Butterflies were available for purchase for $12 and with that your loved one’s name was put onto a board that was on display at the event. The money raised from the event goes toward the grief support program that Friends of Caroline offers, and it also goes to help those who need hospice care but who do not have insurance to cover the costs.
“This was our fourth year, there were a few bumps along the way with COVID and needing to reschedule, but now we are on track and can gather in large groups. We see this event growing in years to come,” Roberg said.
Roberg also mentioned that this event is quickly becoming their biggest fundraiser for the year.
Remembering loved ones
Jessica Pheil, of Beaufort, attended the event for the first time on Saturday with her father and her 1-year-old son. She was there to remember her mother, who passed away a year ago, and her infant daughter who died in 2017.
“It has been great to see all of the butterflies and to see my son playing with the butterflies. This is something we have always wanted to do with her, but we never had the opportunity. It is really nice to be able to do it now, especially with the community as well. We aren’t really talking or communicating with them, but to see everyone out here, it’s just really nice,” Pheil said.
Joyce Anne Wise, of Beaufort, died on March 17, 2023, and was remembered during the event by her children and daughter-in-law. She died at Friends of Caroline Hospice Cottage, which is the new inpatient hospice house located in Ridgeland.
“It’s a real opportunity, following the loss, after we have had time to digest it a little bit, to come together with people who know and have dealt with the same issues,” said Anthony Wise, of Lorton, Va., one of Wise’s children. “To commiserate and remember and reflect on the joy of life and the transition.”
His wife, Deb Wise, added that this is an event that helps you to understand the metamorphosis of what is happening when you lose a loved one.
“We try to hold the event around Memorial Day. In the future, we just hope to continue spreading word about the event and let people know that there is an opportunity for them to gather and remember and celebrate the ones that we love, and I think it’s a really great way for us to do it as a community,” said Roberg.
Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She spent six years as a videographer and photographer for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette before leaving the Lowcountry in 2018. After freelancing in Myrtle Beach and Virginia, she joined The Island News when she moved back to Beaufort in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
