Butterfly Release for WMH Hospice 15th Anniversary

(Honesdale, June 3, 2017)… More than 50 people turned out for a butterfly release and church service to celebrate the 15^th anniversary of Wayne Memorial Hospice and to remember loved ones. The 60 monarch butterflies, which had been in a kind of hibernation, gently attached themselves to people in the crowd (to their great delight) before “waking fully” and flying off. The butterfly release in Honesdale’s Central Park on June 3^rd included a speech by WMH CEO David Hoff, who remarked upon the importance of the department in people’s lives, Hospice Manager Lisa Grecco, RN, the reading of a poem by Karon Shaffer, RN and Charlene Whitmore, RN and musical accompaniment by Honesdale High School student Jordan Pugh.

During a service afterwards in nearby Grace Episcopal Church, an “anointing of the hands” was offered by WMH Chaplains Reverend Maria McKiernan and Reverend William Rushik, while WMH Chaplain Reverend Edward Erb played the church organ. “It was a really nice service,” said one attendee, “and WMH Hospice offers a wonderful service at an important moment in the lives of many families—including my own.”

For more photos, visit Wayne Memorial Hospital on Facebook.

Photo: Butterfly shared between attendees.

Photo: Karon Shaffer, RN, WMH Hospice, with help from Kyle Grecco, releases butterflies in Central Park, Honesdale to mark her department’s 15^th anniversary.