Last Nov. in Pa., we began with a simple idea. As breeders, we wanted to provide the opportunity for children and families in crisis to encounter butterflies- and allow those butterflies to bring encouragement to those who needed "lifted up" because of difficult life circumstances. In Pa, we chose a name for this effort: Wings of Hope.

The idea first "hatched" during a discussion on the Farmer's List in the summer. It grew with many people's comments and responses and finally, after we selected the name last Nov., it seemed to wrap itself up for the winter. No one knew exactly what would finally emerge.

What finally did come forth was an unexpected kaleidoscope of participating farmers who's creative ideas spanned a far wider range of projects and organizations then anything that we could have pre-planned last fall. In the summer of 2000, Wings of Hope boasted 17 participating breeders and benefited 13 separate organizations or individuals in 11 states. Events ranged from large scale Cancer Relays for Life and Kid's Day Camps to displays for group homes and even an individual. During many of these events, hundreds of people participated and it's safe to say that thousands of people all over the country were touched, and were lifted up, by Wings of Hope.

Relays for Life in Indianapolis and San Diego, Children's Hospital in Pgh. and Shriners Hospital in Springfield, Maryland; Camp Hobe in Utah, Cathedral Church Camp in Wilmington, Camp Catch-a-Rainbow in Michigan, Camp Hope with Heart, The Carmel Youth Foundation, The Childrens Place in West Palm Beach, Kid's Sanctuary, Cranes for Peace in Santa Fe, Compassionate Friends in Fort Worth and A Keiki's Dream in Hawaii are some of the places where people were touched, thanks to your time, efforts and generosity as breeders. Thank you for taking the time to visit, to send butterflies, to extend yourself, during what we all know is a very busy and demanding season.

I'd like to take a moment to recognize all the breeders that participated this summer:

Sundance Butterfly Ranch- Cathy & Patrick Wolfe
Butterfly Beginnings- Janet Smith
Butterflies for San Diego- Eric & Susan Cope
Swallowtail Farms- Jacob Groth, Linda & Steve Rogers
Acreage Butterfly Company- Mary Shields
Butterflies of the Central Coast- Michael Mintz
The Fluttering "B" Butterfly Ranch- Leslie Lange
The Monarchy- Terry Terbush & Melanie McCarthy
Flutterbies- Jon & Cindy Timko
Hole in Hand Butterfly Farm- Rick Mikula
Merry Monarch Butterfly Ranch- Julie Wood
Berkshire Butterflies- Garry Cousins
Jardin de Mariposas- Margarita Ashman
The Butterfly Connection- Kathy Reinertsen
Butterflies on the Potomac- Jay & Edie McRoberts
Milkweed Café- Cindy Hepp
Cathy Benson

Thank you again for your participation. For next year, I am hoping we will have even more participants. We also hope to expand Wings of Hope to encompass not only children but people of all ages who need healing, help and hope. Some people expressed a desire to visit nursing homes and work with other groups of people. I'm learning that the less we impose our own restrictions, the more opportunity we all have to create something beautiful.

I'd like to share with you 2 examples of projects- that probably represent our smallest, and our largest efforts under the Wings of Hope banner. I think you'll agree that each is equally special and worthwhile.

The first is a project that caught my eye when it was listed at the IBBA website. Melanie McCarthy and Terry Terbush of The Monarchy had posted that they were going to supply a live butterfly display to a young girl with a terminal illness. That description caught my attention and I recently wrote them to ask for a little more detail on what they did and how it went. Here is a portion of the letter that Melanie replied with:

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This is a true story about a little girl who adored butterflies all her life, so much so that her room was filled with hundreds of butterfly objects in every shape, color and texture imaginable. Her walls displayed what could not be held somewhere else in the room.

This little girl whose, name was Nicole, had just turned 13 and in June of 2000 was to enter the 8th grade at Chapin Elementary School in Ludlow, Massachusetts. She was also a young girl who, two years earlier, had been diagnosed with incurable bone cancer.

Bravely she and her community fought this disease but as time went on, she and her family knew she was losing the fight.

Her love of butterflies prompted a local florist to bring Nicole's story to our attention. With the assistance of the florist, the family was approached with the idea of bringing a live butterfly display to her so that 'her' butterflies could come to life and comfort her.

The family accepted our offer. On June 21 six Monarchs in a display cage were delivered to Nicole.Their flittering presence by her bedside brought to her some happiness and comfort, moments her family shared in joy with her.

On June 23, two days later, she awoke as usual. However, this morning was to be her last. Shortly after awakening and with her family and her butterflies by her side, she took two final breaths and peacefully passed away.

Moments later her younger brother removed the butterflies from her bedside and carefully released them from Nicole's window so that in his words, "the butterflies can be with Nicole."

Three days later, two dozen Monarchs were released by her parents at the graveside. On October 15, 2000 her headstone was finally completed. Engraved in the stone is a butterfly.

We feel honored to have been part of Nicole's story.

Melanie McCarthy
Terry Terbush - The Monarchy

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Thank you Melanie and Terry for showing us that every effort and every gesture of kindness reaps blessings beyond what any of us can measure.

Now, I'd like to introduce all of you to the person who perhaps did the most with Wings of Hope this year. Cathy Wolfe, a cancer survivor, and her husband Patrick, oversaw a number of events related to the American Cancer Society. She traveled up to 8 hours by car for one event, transferred hundreds of butterflies into display cages at another outing when rain threatened and even managed to get butterflies featured in an upcoming American Cancer Society video. Her pleas for butterfly stock were answered by a number of farmers who generously assisted her. Thanks to her passion and enthusiasm for a worthy cause, she wasn't shy about publicity. She knew her efforts would help not only the butterfly industry but many people affected by cancer.

In the end, Wings of Hope encompasses every act of kindness from the smallest gesture to the biggest events. I hope everyone is inspired to do something special next year, at whatever level, with whatever number of people, you won't be the same. As Rick Mikula said, it's the most "selfish" thing, and the most heartwarming thing, you'll ever do.

Respectfully Submitted by

Chairperson Wings of Hope, 2000

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