Butterfly Memorial Event 2023
by BFO OttawaSunday, 4 June 2023 from 3:00 PM (EDT) to 4:30 PM (EDT)The Beechwood Cemetery 280 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa, ON K1L 8A6Ticket Information
Ticket sales for this event are now closed.
Overview
Release a Live Butterfly in Memory of a Loved One
On Sunday, June 4 at 3 pm, the Ottawa community will come together to experience the Butterfly Memorial Event, by BFO-Ottawa. Come in person for the ceremony at Beechwood, Canada's National Cemetery, to remember our loved ones.
All too often, people are left to grieve alone. At BFO-Ottawa, we believe in coming together as a community to support one another.
The event begins with a remembrance ceremony in the non-denominational, Sacred Space inside the Beechwood National Memorial Centre. It features music and inspirational speakers. For those who register in advance, your loved one’s photo or name will be displayed on a large screen during the ceremony. Please send your photo and/or name of your loved one to office@bfo-ottawa.org
After the ceremony, we move outside to share a symbolic release of live painted lady butterflies.
This event is a memorial event for those we love. It is also a fundraiser for BFO-Ottawa. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to keep programming running and to add new initiatives to help those who are grieving.
Can't attend? Please consider making a donation to help someone who is not financially able to attend.
Details
BFO-Ottawa is thrilled to announce this year’s main speaker is Anna Korutowska.
Anna Korutowska is the widow of Ottawa Police Constable Eric Czapnik. Constable Czapnik was murdered in December of 2009 while on duty, and while tending to a victim of a horrific sexual assault at the Civic Hospital. Anna was born in Poland and immigrated to Canada at the age of nineteen. She met Eric who was also Polish in Ottawa, they married in 2004 and welcomed their son Anthony in 2006. Anna continues to live in Ottawa, in the same home she shared with Eric, with their now 16-year-old son and 8-month-old puppy Ramos. She works as a Realtor in the Ottawa area as well as an accountant for Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation. Anna is an active volunteer and for the last 20 years has been sitting on board of directors of various organizations. Since becoming a widow, she is an advocate for peer support groups that are instrumental in any healing journey. Anna is an active member of a Canada wide group supporting families of fallen first responders called Survivors of Law Enforcement (SOLE) as well as victim of crime Ottawa chapter support group.
Doors open at 2:00pm
Ceremony begins at 3:00pm