- February 7, 2025
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They may have had different backgrounds but all the people walking together on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 7, did have one thing in common — they had all lost a child.
That morning the group was participating in the 6th Annual Rock and Walk for Babies, an event to honor the children that had died and support the families they had been a part of. The walk is put on through the TEARS Foundation, which serves families both financially and emotionally, after they have lost of a child.
For one of the event's chairs, Margaret Pilon, the walk is not just a way to raise money for these families' funeral and cremation expenses but a symbol of moving forward in life.
"Who we were prior to our loss is a totally different person than who we are now," Pilon said. "Paying for the funeral is one thing, but the emotional support that goes with it is a very lengthy journey."
Pilon, who is also a state chapter leader, has her own reason for walking. In 2009, her daughter, Madeline, died in utero. It was this tragic event that led Pilon to find a way to help other parents who had been through similar experiences. That was when she found the TEARS Foundation.
"I wanted to make an impact in other families' lives," Pilon said. "I wanted to be there to help and to hold onto hope together with another human."
Since becoming a part of the TEARS Foundation, Pilon has also been able to be a part of a comprehensive bereavement program that meets once each month. Additionally, she is a peer companion in order to provide support to parents who have experienced the death of a child.
As for the walk, Pilon said this is the organization's largest fundraiser and the reason they can continue to give back to families that need help.
This year's event, which lasted four hours, began with a walk at 10 a.m. and also included a 'hope lap' where several jeeps drove around City Center during a moment of silence. There were two reflection areas on the lake where participants could sit and simply reflect on their losses.
There was also a reading of all the names of the children that had died. This year, those names were also written on cut-out butterflies so that families could remember their children as they walked.
"Nobody has to walk this journey alone," Pilon said. "We are here. We're never going to take away from you, but we would walk together with you to help guide you on that positive road."
