Keeping the memories alive

MILFORD — “We are usually dressed a lot differently when we come to Memorial Park,” joked Cecelia Clayton, “as we’ve come here over the past five or six years to light our memorial Christmas tree... to be here today, dressed like this, for an occasion like this is truly wonderful.” Clayton, executive director for the Karen Ann Quinlan Memorial Foundation opened the first annual Milford Butterfly Release celebration at 4 p.m. on June 26 to an audience of about 100 as others slowly strolled about. Jennifer Smith, special events coordinator said the butterflies came from Monarchs Alive out of Hellertown. “We are just so excited to be able to bring this event to Milford as we do provide many services to Milford and among these are spiritual support, such as in the form of the butterfly release.” The one hour event included a musical selection from Guy Henderson on the violin, Mario M. Inglima playing the organ, the singing of “Butterfly, (Angela’s Song)” and the list of memorial names, for which the butterflies were being released, read by guest speakers. During the last violin selection, the butterflies were gently released into the park and met with smiles from the crowd. Clayton made closing remarks before the butterflies were released, “Butterflies have a purpose, they go from flower to flower creating new life, the same as we humans have a purpose, so the next time you see a butterfly, don’t think ‘Oh, that’s just another butterfly.’ Think, ‘Oh that’s a butterfly from the memorial’, it will make us happy, it will keep our love and memory alive.”