2024 Wave of Light Event

By: Katja Manrodt, RN, Health Writer

Garden of the Sleeping Angels would like to invite all of our wonderful families and friends to the upcoming annual GSA Wave of Light on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 6pm! This in-person gathering at the GSA Gardens will happen together with the international Wave of Light—a worldwide event for pregnancy and infant loss recognition. This is the culmination of Baby Loss Awareness Week from October 9-15.

On this meaningful day, countless families around the world will be lighting candles at 7pm to remember a child lost too soon. This action creates a 24-hour “wave of light” as it moves across the globe. To create our own Wave of Light, the GSA community will gather in-person on October 15 to watch our 16 beautiful gardens become illuminated with candles. What a truly breathtaking sight to see…!

We expect to light over 250 individual candles to commemorate the babies memorialized in our gardens (as well as any other little ones brought forward by our community). Join us as we “Say their names” in a circle of hope and light.

Join us at 6pm at the gardens for fellowship and to prepare for the candle lighting ceremony at dusk. All candles will be lit by around 7pm. We’ll gather during this time for remembrance and prayer as we form a circle in unity and solidarity. Following the candle lighting, we’ll be videoing as we say the name of each baby remembered in the individual garden sites. These recordings will be posted on social media for future viewing.

All are welcome to attend the Wave of Light event. Wondering if this gathering is for you? We want to open our arms to:

• Those already in our GSA circle
• Family and friends
• Children
• Other supportive community members new to GSA (perhaps those who have experienced loss personally or professionally, or those who simply care about our mission) 

The Wave of Light aims to be a family-friendly event! However, we do ask that you leave your puppies at home. We’ll provide apple cider, cookies, and bars to enjoy while we gather, connect, and share stories together.

You can find our GSA gardens at the following address: 3405 CR 6, Orono, MN 55356. We encourage you to invite your family and friends. Please also share the word with others who might be interested in the greater community! The event is free, but we will be collecting donations to raise funds for memorial stake scholarships and garden upkeep.

Please PM or text Nancy at 612-986-3737 with questions and to RSVP. This helps us know how many guests to expect. It also lets those outside the immediate GSA community share the name of an infant or child they wish to include in the reading. You do not have to already have a child memorialized in the gardens in order to participate! ALL truly are welcome… 💜 

More about Garden of the Sleeping Angels

Garden of the Sleeping Angels is a nonprofit organization dedicated to those who have experienced loss of an infant or child—in utero, stillborn, or after birth. The GSA gardens provide a safe haven where families can remember their children lost too soon. We invite families to place a customizable engraved angel memorial or other tangible item of remembrance in one of our 16 gardens. This gives them a beautiful, serene place to visit and reflect for years to come. 

The gardens are nestled in a beautiful, wooded homestead with a sweeping view of Lake Classen (3405 County Road 6, Orono, MN, 55356). On any given day, you may see parents taking a peaceful walk while remembering their child, families celebrating a heavenly birthday, helpers diligently caring for the garden and property, or visitors receiving a tour from the organization’s founder, Nancy Sawyer.

As the GSA website states, “Our hope is that visits to this peaceful setting enable you to remember, reflect, grieve, and begin healing as you celebrate your sweet one’s all to short time on this earth.”

Learn more about our unique organization by visiting our Garden of the Sleeping Angels website at www.gardenofthesleepingangels.com. Here, you can:

• Discover our story
• Learn about upcoming events
• Read blog posts
• Discover loss resources
• Donate or volunteer
• Find out how to add your angel memorial to the GSA Gardens
• Contact us for questions or to get involved

We look forward to seeing you at the upcoming Wave of Light event, hearing from those interested in helping make an impact, or connecting so we can help support you in your time of grief and healing.

More about Baby Loss Awareness Week

Are you interested in learning more about recognizing pregnancy and infant loss? Visit the Baby Loss Awareness website for more information. The organization discusses how the goal of this special week is to provide support for parents and families, while giving families a way to commemorate the loss of a baby or pregnancy. It also aims to raise the public’s awareness, as well as improve support and care of those experiencing grief from loss.

View the Baby Loss Awareness Week website to download a variety of free images for social media and other sharing. Below are two examples of images that can be downloaded for your personal use.

If you or your organization wish to recognize Baby Loss Awareness Week—or encourage others to join the Wave of Light—multiple graphics exist for that purpose as well. Perhaps you’d also like to send an image to your friends and family on October 15, letting them know you’re participating in the Wave of Light. The wonderful thing is that people all over the world can participate virtually in the Wave of Light at 7pm in their own time zone!

Let us all join together for Baby Loss Awareness Week from October 9-15, culminating in the Wave of Light on October 15, 2024. We can’t wait to see you at Garden of the Sleeping Angels for our in-person Wave of Light gathering. We’d also love to hear about other ways you’ve chosen to commemorate a precious loved one in your life.

There are so many important ways to spread the word and break the silence. Nobody should have to go through pregnancy and infant loss alone. Grief can often feel isolating, but your community is here to uplift and support you in navigating the journey of loss together. 

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