Recently, residents and team members at Cedar Community's Cedar Ridge Campus gathered for the Annual Butterfly Release and Celebration of Life, an event that has become a highlight of the community's philanthropy program.

Hundreds of live butterflies took flight that afternoon as residents released them in memory of friends and loved ones who have passed. The celebration included a time of prayer and reflection, live music, a cash bar, and a complimentary picnic meal. Guests were also invited to write a message to a loved one on a memorial wall, a quiet, personal touch amid the afternoon's music and conversation.

Nicole Pretre, President and CEO of Cedar Community, described what the event means to the organization.

"Cedar Community's annual Butterfly Release and Celebration of Life is a beautiful example of how spiritual care, resident experience, and legacy philanthropy all intersect," Pretre said. "For more than 15 years the annual event has brought together residents and team members to honor, celebrate, and remember loved ones who have completed their journey with us. In our work we are fortunate to walk alongside individuals and families who make an impact, on their friends and neighbors, on our community, and, through philanthropic gifts, on future generations of Cedar Community residents. This poignant celebration paints the picture of the breadth and depth of our impact in the lives of others, resident and team member alike."

The tradition traces back to Joanne Becker, a longtime friend of Cedar Community who first brought the idea for a butterfly release to the organization. Becker's history with Cedar Community runs deep. She got her start as a youth volunteer under the community's founder, and in the years since has served as a board member, an advisor, and a generous donor.

"She (Joanne) is a gem," said Sarah J. Malchow, CFRE, Chief Administrative Officer at Cedar Community.

The event, hosted by Cedar Community's philanthropy department, relies each year on generous community partners. Wetterau Homestead, Inc. served as this year's event sponsor, covering meals and butterflies, while Curana Health sponsored the hydration station and Thrivent Action Teams provided supplies.

More than a decade and a half in, the Butterfly Release remains a simple, moving reminder of why long-term care providers exist in the first place: to walk alongside residents and families through every season of life, including the ones spent remembering.