Children's Grief Awareness DaySM
Mark Your Calendar! In 2024, Children's Grief Awareness Day is Thursday, November 21!
Children's Grief Awareness Day was created in 2008 by the Highmark Caring Place. It’s observed internationally every year on the third Thursday in November (the Thursday before the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving).
This is a particularly appropriate time of year to support grieving children since the holiday season is often a difficult time after a death.
Children's Grief Awareness Day brings attention to the grief of children, and to the fact that support can make a big difference in the life of a grieving child.
The Children's Grief Awareness Day theme for 2024 is "Here for Each Other," highlighting the importance of coming together as a community to support those who are grieving.
Experiencing the loss of someone special is overwhelming. Going through that experience all alone makes it that much more difficult. Sharing our journey brings us together and can help to lighten the load.
Whether we ourselves are grieving, or we know someone else who is going through these tough times, we need to remember that we are HERE FOR EACH OTHER!
Virtual Children's Grief Awareness Day
On Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, the Highmark Caring Place will host the Fifth Annual VIRTUAL Children's Grief Awareness Day. Tune into our YouTube channel to hear a wide variety of people sharing their stories of grief and hope.
A listing of the day's presentations and activities is shown here:
- Terese LaVallee (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) — Children's Grief Awareness Day Introduction and Guided Moment of Silence by the Highmark Caring Place Executive Director
- Cam Heyward & Charlotte Heyward-Blackwell (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) — Presentation and Q&A with Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro defensive end and 2024 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year, along with his mother, recorded with grieving children and families from the Highmark Caring Place
- Kurt Angle (Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania) — Words of hope from Olympic Gold Medalist and WWE Hall of Famer with Memory Flag Activity Tutorial featuring Alexa Livelsberger and Melissa Reagan
- Children's Grief Awareness Day Champions (Morgantown, West Virginia) — Champions from West Virginia University will speak on what it's like to play for and honor children who are grieving, as well as for their own loved ones who have died
- Zya Nugent (Denison, Texas), WVU Women's Basketball (GAME INFO: WVU vs. Texas A&M — Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. ET)
- Toby Okani (Orange, New Jersey), WVU Men's Basketball (GAME INFO: WVU vs. Pitt — Friday, Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. ET)
- Elijah Kinsler (Oradell, New Jersey), WVU Football (GAME INFO: WVU vs. Baylor — Saturday, Nov. 16 at 4 p.m. ET)
- Matthew Schaefer (Stoney Creek, Ontario) — Interview with Children's Grief Awareness Day Champion and NHL prospect/Defenseman for the Erie Otters
- Preview of the OHL's Erie Otters' Children's Grief Awareness Night Promotional Hockey Game (GAME INFO: Erie Otters vs. Kitchener Rangers — Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m.)
*BUY specially discounted tickets for the game
- Preview of the OHL's Erie Otters' Children's Grief Awareness Night Promotional Hockey Game (GAME INFO: Erie Otters vs. Kitchener Rangers — Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m.)
- Kevin Johnson (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — Speaking on grief and what inspired him to write the children's book Cape, a story about loss and love
- Cape Overview and Activity — Resource for Grieving Children
- Kathryn Millroy (Wilmington, North Carolina) — Reading her book Kids on Carousels and Q&A
- Krista Ball (Warrendale, Pennsylvania) & Nathan Marshall (Wellsburg, West Virginia) — Here for Each Other: Spreading Messages of Support and Hope through Children's Grief Awareness Day, presentation by two of the organizers of Children's Grief Awareness Day
- National Alliance for Children's Grief (Lubbock, Texas) — Flip the Script: From Words to Action When Supporting Children Who Are Grieving
- Music to Feel, Heal & Connect — Reveal of this year's Spotify Grief Tracks Playlist, a playlist filled with songs submitted via our social media channels that comfort you in your grief or connect you with your loved one who died
- Illuminating Hope Reminder — Take a moment to create a memorial butterfly to add to our 2024 virtual Butterfly Garden at HOPE.highmarkcaringplace.com
2023 Presentations
On Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, the Highmark Caring Place hosted the Fourth Annual VIRTUAL Children's Grief Awareness Day.
A listing of the day's presentations and activities is shown below.
Tune in to the Highmark Caring Place YouTube page where the videos are available on youtube.com/HighmarkCaringPlace for viewing at any time.
- Cameron Heyward (Pittsburgh Steelers) — Presentation and conversation with grieving children who attend the Highmark Caring Place (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- AEW Wrestling — Interview with Brodie Lee Jr., 11-year-old son of AEW Wrestling Legend Brodie Lee (1979–2020), on Finding Hope in Grief (Tampa Bay, Florida)
- The Invisible String — Book Introduction & Reading by New York Times Best-Selling Author Patrice Karst (Ventura, California)
- The Invisible String Activity presented by the Highmark Caring Place
- Here for You Cards of Support — Illustration Tutorial by Artist & Illustrator Luke Flowers (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
- Create Your Own Card of Support Activity presented by the Highmark Caring Place
- Preview of the Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters vs. Saginaw Spirit Special Children's Grief Awareness Day Promotional Hockey Game (Friday, November 17)
- Interview with Brett McCutcheon about The Ocean — Five Years, Brett's musical tribute written in loving memory of his brother Ryan (Wexford, Pennsylvania)
- Featuring the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and vocals by June Bracken and The Voice Finalist Chris Jamison
- Pause Naturally: Finding Eco-friendly Rituals to Help Us Take Time for Our Grief 3 Presentation by Kiri Meyer, Bereavement Programs Manager, Eluna (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
- Flipping Your Grief Support Scripts presented by National Alliance for Children's Grief (NACG)
- Supporting Kidds — A Grief Activity for Kids and Families (Hockessin, Delaware)
- Mandala Weaving/Happy Drum Activity presented by The Hummingbird Program, Penn State Health Children's Hospital (Hershey, Pennsylvania)
- Moment of Silence in Memory of those who have died, and in Honor of children grieving those losses
- Pause to Listen: Beats That Take You Back — Reveal of the 2023 Spotify Grief Tracks Playlist
- Songs submitted via our social media channels that help us feel supported and/or remind us of our loved ones
- Illuminating Hope — Create a memorial butterfly to add to the 2023 virtual mosaic mural at hope.highmarkcaringplace.com.
2022 Presentations
- Terese LaVallee, Highmark Caring Place, Executive Director (Pittsburgh, Erie, Harrisburg & Warrendale, Pa.)
- Todd Parr, author of The Goodbye Book (Berkeley, CA)
- Terry Clarke Murphy & Christina Connors (Westminster, Md. & Greenwich, Conn.)
- Katie Lear, author of A Parent's Guide to Managing Childhood Grief (Charlotte, N.C.)
- Catia Chien, artist of My Blue Is Happy (São Paulo, Brazil)
- Jessica Young, author of My Blue Is Happy (Ontario, Canada)
- Tori Rehak, Brighter Days Grief Center (Eden Prairie, Minn.)
- Corrie Sirota, Myra’s Kids (Montreal, Quebec)
- Eleanor Haley, What's Your Grief? (Baltimore, Md.)
- Doug Dunbar, HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response (Erie, Pa.)
- Melody Ray, author of Someone I Love Died from a Drug Overdose (Ebensburg, Pa.)
- Highmark Caring Place, Grief Talks Webinar (Pittsburgh, Erie, Harrisburg & Warrendale, Pa.)
- Elizabeth Schandelmeier & Laura Rausch, Family Hospice, Part of UPMC (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Special Children's Grief Awareness Day Hockey Game (Saginaw, Mich. & Erie, Pa.)
- VIDEO — Preview of Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters vs. Saginaw Spirit special Children's Grief Awareness Day Hockey Game (original game postponed because of weather; rescheduled Erie Otters vs. Windsor Spitfires game played on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022)
- Amanda Huber from AEW Wrestling (Tampa Bay, Fla.)
- Brian Griese, former NFL Quarterback & Founder of Judi's House for Grieving Children and Families (Denver, Colo.)
- Hannah Pan, Judi's House for Grieving Children and Families (Denver, Colo.)
- National Alliance for Children's Grief (Lubbock, Texas)
- Terese LaVallee, Highmark Caring Place, Executive Director (Pittsburgh, Erie, Harrisburg & Warrendale, Pa.)
- VIDEO — Children's Grief Awareness Day Closing
- 2022 Illuminating Hope Mosaic Mural reveal
- Moment of Remembrance
- Special Thank You for Supporting Children's Grief Awareness Day
- VIDEO — Children's Grief Awareness Day Closing
Links from 2021's Virtual Children's Grief Awareness Day
On Thursday, November 18, 2021, the Highmark Caring Place hosted the Second Annual VIRTUAL Children's Grief Awareness Day.
The schedule of the day's presentations and activities are shown below, including links to those Presentations and to the Activities Sheets that accompanied some presentations. All the videos are also available on a YouTube or Facebook playlist for viewing at any time.
- Terese LaVallee, Sally Wiggin, Merril Hoge, Vicki Jay, and Neil Walker — Children's Grief Awareness Day Kick-Off
- Valerie's House (Fort Myers, Naples & Punta Gorda, Florida)
- Josh & Gab (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Mollie Landman Hunker (Grove City, Pennsylvania)
- Brighter Days Grief Center (Eden Prairie, Minnesota)
- AgWorks Program (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
- Tracy Subisak, author of Jenny Mei Is Sad (Portland, Oregon)
- Grief Talks Webinar, Highmark Caring Place (Pittsburgh, Erie, Harrisburg, Warrendale, Pennsylvania)
- Dr. Edith Eva Eger, Holocaust Survivor and author (La Jolla, California)
- National Alliance for Children's Grief (Lubbock, Texas)
- FRZY, recording artist (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- The Irish Childhood Bereavement Network (Dublin, Ireland)
- Roberta's House (Baltimore, Maryland)
- Trying Together (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- ACH Clear Pathways (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- "Beautiful Something Left Behind" Director Katrine Philp, Producer Katrine Sahlstrøm, and members of the cast (Copenhagen, Denmark & Robbinsville, New Jersey)
- 2021 Illuminating Hope Mosaic Mural reveal; Moment of Remembrance; "Hope" artwork creation & reveal by "Paints by Kait" (Seattle, Washington)
- A message from grieving children, families, and organizations who support grieving children from around the world
Links from 2020's Virtual Children's Grief Awareness Day
On Thursday, November 19, 2020, the Highmark Caring Place hosted the First Annual VIRTUAL Children's Grief Awareness Day.
Videos of the day's Presentations, along with links to the Activities Sheets which accompanied some of these presentations, remain available:
- Terese Vorsheck, Highmark Caring Place, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Faith & Julie, Teen & Parent Speakers on Grief and Support, from CORE, Center for Organ Recovery & Education
- VIDEO — Teen & Parent Speakers on Grief
- Judi's House (Denver, Colorado)
- Children's Grief Awareness Movie Bracket Challenge Winner Reveal
- Dr. David Fajgenbaum, National Best-Selling Author of Chasing My Cure
- VIDEO — A Conversation about Grief
- Grief Talks Webinar, Highmark Caring Place
- Susan Bernardo & Courtenay Fletcher, Author & Illustrator of Sun Kisses, Moon Hugs
- VIDEO — Book Reading & Activities
- LeVar Burton, Celebrity Guest, Author of The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm
- Langley Hospice Society (Langley City, British Columbia, Canada)
- Tiffany Papageorge, Author of My Yellow Balloon
- Ari, Young Adult Speaker on Grief and Support, from Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss, Mountainside, New Jersey
- VIDEO — Young Adult Speaker on Grief
- VIDEO — Illuminating HOPE Virtual Mosaic Mural Presentation
- Create your own Butterfly at Hope.CaringPlace.com
- Thank You! from around the world for support of Children's Grief Awareness Day