North County Health September 28

PETAL Program Offers Support, Remembrance and Compassion to Families After Loss

The PETAL (Parents Embracing Time After Loss) program is an initiative dedicated to supporting parents and families following the loss of a baby.  Developed in 2006, the program helps families navigate grief by offering meaningful mementos, resources and compassionate support during an especially difficult time.

PETAL’s mission is to honor the life of each child, support the family and bring comfort through community and compassion.  Through remembrance activities and opportunities for families to connect, PETAL helps ensure that babies who are lost are remembered and that parents and loved ones do not have to face their grief alone.

PETAL is closely connected to the annual Walk to Remember, held in recognition of National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month each October.  The Walk to Remember provides an opportunity for families, friends, caregivers and community members to gather in reflection and remembrance of babies lost through early pregnancy loss, stillbirth, newborn death or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

The 2026 Walk to Remember is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, 1300 Anne St. NW, Bemidji.  There is no cost to attend.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. and will include live music and a build-your-own bouquet bar.  The walk begins at 10 a.m., followed by a memorial ceremony.  As part of the remembrance, a tree donated by Hill Country Treehouse will be planted.  A silent auction will open online on Sept. 28 and continue through the event.  All proceeds will go directly toward supporting families who experience a loss.

For families and community members, the Walk to Remember offers a meaningful opportunity to pause, remember and honor the lives of babies who are no longer here while connecting with others who understand the experience of loss.

For more information about the event and a link to the silent auction, visit www.sanfordhealth.org/classes-and-events/walk-to-remember or contact a PETAL team member at (218) 333-6129

Submitted by: North Country Community Health Services and Beltrami County Community Health Services- www.ncchb.org or www.co.beltrami.mn.us/services/public-health/ or find us on Facebook-North Country Community Health Services

(Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard and Lake of the Woods Public Health)