December 31, 2011 is a day the Burgess family will never forget. “Our lives changed drastically that day, our granddaughters lost their daddy, my other two sons lost a brother they were extremely close to, my grandsons lost a beloved uncle and we lost our middle son.” said Brenda Burgess. After the death of her son, Brett Burgess, Brenda was referred to The WARM Place thanks to a co-worker and longtime WARM Place volunteer. Brenda began attending our grief support program in 2012 with her granddaughters Bailee and Brooklyn. During their time at The WARM Place the girls learned they were not alone. They shared openly with new friends that also had experienced the death of a parent, they shared memories and they shared tears. It was during this time in 2012 when they attended their first Walk 2 Remember Them at The WARM Place. Brenda recalls wanting to participate in the event “to show their support to other families that had lost a loved one and to recognize Brooklin and Bailee’s loss and let them know their daddy would never, ever be forgotten.”
Brooklin and Bailee attended grief support at The WARM Place for a little over a year, closing in August 2014. Even after their time as an attending family ended, they continue to be involved by participating as a family in the annual W2RT. “The walk reminds us of when we first came to The WARM Place and we remember the shape our lives were in after our loss. It brings back a lot of good memories and it also reminds us of how far we’ve come in our grief journey.” says Brenda. This year will be the Burgess’ families 4th year to participate in the walk. “We love the fact that we get to spend time with our family but also to reconnect with other families that were at The WARM Place during our grief journey. It gives us time to visit with our previous facilitators and friends we made at The WARM Place. It’s like going home for a visit with family!” says Brenda.
This year the Walk 2 Remember Them is moving to the spring and will take place on April 16th. We hope you and your family will join us for this very special event that includes a one mile walk and finish line celebration at The WARM Place. Pre-registration has been extended thru April 4th so there is still time to sign up online and guarantee your t-shirt! All participants will receive a special memory holder that holds a 4×6 photo so they can honor and remember their loved one as they walk. Registration is $20 for adults and $15 for youth and FREE for all current attending WARM Place families! Questions? Call Shelley at 817-791-7506.
-Shelley Spikes, Director of Events and PR
