2001
Message posted to the IBBA Mailing List by Terry Fluke, 11 July 2001.
From: Terry Fluke
Subject: Wings of Hope
I had the most rewarding day today.
Last year after Cathy Wolfe was done with her project she said that a hospital in PA was looking for the same program.
I got in touch with them and today was my turn.
It was
Camp
Victory
hosted by the local Ronald McDonald house out of
Geisinger
Hospital
. It was for children with Cancer.
I had the younger children. Ages 5 - 10.
Reality time hit fast when I checked in at the
Medical
Building
. They had everyone's Meds lined up on the table. I'm talking some serious amounts of medicines and syringes. I got a little nervous thinking what condition these children would be in.
But no need for that. They were as rambunctious as any healthy children. If I wouldn't of seen the bald heads, chest tubes or even artificial legs you wouldn't of even known in most cases.
Of course they loved looking at the things up close.
Luckily my one fertile Monarch got down to business yesterday, so they had eggs to look at, a bunch of 5th instar caterpillars to hold. They were held to the end of the program. They didn't want to give them up. Actually, I'm pretty sure one didn't come back. This one little boy just fell in love with it. I just told the one counselor what to feed it if he was still carrying it around at supper tonight.
Once we were done I took them outside and did a small release. One of the girls read the Indian Prayer and the youngest boy opened the box to let them out. His face was priceless. You couldn't of gotten a jaw to open any further.
The best part was for some reason one of the Monarchs wouldn't leave the box. There was nothing physically wrong with it, and it was really sunny out. One of the kids reached in a picked it up. And then passed it from one to another. We all got lots of photos of it. After about 10 minutes it was still not flying. One of the counselors suggested they take it up to show one of the boys who was really sick and couldn't join any of the activities today. I think it just stuck around because he knew he was needed.
Anyways I will post some photos when I get them back. It really was a wonderful day. I'm sure I got more out of it than the kids did.
This will be a yearly project for me from now on.
Terry.
Wings of Hope - They Must Fly
Dedicated to the victims of terrorism. Click HERE for the report.
2002
American Cancer Society: 2002 Relay for Life
Lower Pioneer Valley
On May 31st 2002, the American Cancer Society held a 2002 Relay For Life event in Lower Pioneer Valley. This year's relay theme was "transformation" with the butterfly as a symbol of courage and hope.
The event was jointly sponsored by the IBBA, Butterflies & Blueberries, Inc., and The Monarchy Butterfly Farm. 200 butterflies were donated between the two breeders.
Click HERE to read ACS' letter of thanks...
...Read the Transformation Story HERE.
2003
Earl
M.
Lawson
School
Press Release for June 4 Teacher Gale Govro Live Butterfly Release 6/4/2003.
Live Butterfly Release Hosted by First-Graders
Earl
M.
Lawson
School
bid farewell to 20 International students returning to their countries this week. The foreign families spend a year in
Leavenworth
as either military parent attended the International Officer's Training School at
Fort
Leavenworth
. At 1:00 Wednesday, June 4, butterflies soared into the
Kansas
sky as students and staff bid "good by" and "good luck" with this beautiful display of wings.
First-Grade teacher, Gale Govro, diverted the focus from the sad loss of new friends to "joy of new beginnings" by submitting this original idea to the International Butterfly Association. Her program was sponsored as their Wings of Hope project, at Internet site, www.butterflybreeders.com. The Govro Classroom had three of these students, Ana Blavicki (
Bosnia
), Shuvangi Poudyal (
Nepal
), and Mihai Savu (
Romania
), all now speaking fluent English and reading third grade books--all were high achievers. "The foreign students are like traveling the world without taking a trip: it's a wonderful experience for our school," reported the teachers.
Emotions ran high as they were packing, eager to see those left behind at home for a whole year. As the children counted off the days until those 3-4 airplane transfers flights when Grandparents and pets will greet them, teary hugs and "I'll miss you" are frequent in the classroom. As the butterflies are released, the students were also released, focused on the beauty of our year together, not knowing if they would ever see one another again.
Thanks to technology, the students may communicate through their E-mail sites. Leavenworth District provides six computers, and printer, in each elementary classroom. Karen Boldridge, Lawson's principal, proudly reports that Lawson students benefit daily from using the Internet resources, and districtwide innovative programs.
As a first-Grade instructor, Mrs. Govro told her six-year old students that "we all start our year like caterpillars, but each one of us will become a butterfly--just not necessarily on the same day." From this motivational comment, she originated this unique, attractive project. She accents "My dream was only possible because of the generous butterfly farmers--we had butterflies arriving from seven states." What a thrilling memory!
Tagged Monarchs at
Memorial
Butterfly
Garden
Dedication
Hi Butterfliers,
Tagged Monarchs were released at a dedication ceremony for a butterfly memorial garden last week.
Gerald Axelbaum's fifth graders at The College School in
St. Louis
,
Missouri
raised the Monarchs. What a great job they did! These Monarchs were just beautiful and drew so many people's interest to the world of butterflies. They brought something very special to the moment and to the parents that donated the garden in memory of their daughter.
The beautiful new garden was donated by Robert and Dorte Equitz in honor of their late daughter, Annika Louisa.
Barry Walter, maintenance director for this
Houston
community contacted me about purchasing butterflies for the release. Instead, I put him in touch with Gerald Axelbaum and his students, who love to donate their butterflies to Wings of Hope releases. I knew Gerald had some butterflies just ready to go! Of course, these Monarchs were tagged before the release.
Wings of Hope is the IBBA program that connects butterfly farmers wishing to participate in the program, with worthy special events, such as Barry's garden dedication.
IBBA Wings of Hope butterflies have gone to children's cancer camps, Relay for Life events, a special 911 release in
Massachusetts
with 911 butterflies released, a Molly Bish release last summer, Ronald McDonald House releases, etc.
A special thanks to Gerald Axelbaum's students for lovingly raising the Monarchs and generously sending them to Barry's release in
Texas
.
Thanks to the IBBA for being the connecting point for this and many beautiful releases through the Wings of Hope program.
Linda Rogers
Monday, November 17, 2003
Click on a thumbnail to see the photo enlarged.
The Molly Bish
Memorial Butterfly Release
Molly Bish was laid to rest on August 2, 2003 in Warren, Massachusetts.
Molly Bish was abducted on June 27, 2000 from Comins Pond in Warren, Massachusetts where she worked as a lifeguard. Molly was 16 years old at the time of her abduction. The efforts of law enforcement, the media and community in the search for Molly were unprecedented. After three long years, the search for Molly has come to a painful end. Tests recently completed on human remains found in the woods off West Warren Road in Palmer, Massachusetts have determined that they are those of the then 16-year old who disappeared on June 27, 2000. Molly was found just five miles from the pond and her family's home.
John and Magdalen Bish have been advocates for Missing Children since their daughter was abducted. The Bishes have been instrumental in establishing an annual Missing Children's Day in Massachusetts and have lobbied extensively for the implementation of the Amber Alert System. They established the Molly Bish Foundation to promote child safety and have provided complimentary Child Identification Kits to over 30,000 individuals throughout New England.
The International Butterfly Breeders Association, Inc., as part of its Wings of Hope Program, organized a mass butterfly release to be held during the memorial services for Molly. Many Members of the IBBA donated many dozens of butterflies, shipping expense funds and money for the release at this service, which was named an IBBA Wings of Hope Release.
Click HERE to see reports and photographs from the memorial and release.
Click HERE to read the official IBBA Press Release.
Click HERE for a list of IBBA Butterfly Farmers who made personal donations toward this release.
The website for The Molly Bish Foundation is: http://www.mollybish.org
If you have any questions, please e-mail Melanie McCarthy at: monarchs@themonarchy.com, or alternatively you can contact the Wings of Hope Coordinator
