LEWISTON — On Saturday, July 16, a record breaking 400 individuals gathered at Geiger Elementary School in Lewiston for Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice’s annual Butterfly Release Celebration. Held in person for the first time since 2019, guests came together to honor and remember loved ones in a uniquely beautiful way.
Led by Master of Ceremonies, David Eid of WGME-13, the ceremony included stories of remembrance, poems, and live music performed by Androscoggin employees, Karen Flynn, Sarah Gillespie, and Kerry O’Leary. The celebration concluded with the much-anticipated reading of loved ones’ names and the release of 800 Monarch butterflies, providing a tranquil backdrop for guests of all ages to enjoy the company of the butterflies and each other.
“Every time I come to one of these events, I’m moved by the stories I hear”, said Ken Albert, president and CEO of Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice. “It’s incredible to hear people share the impact that hospice care had made in their lives and for their families.”
As part of Androscoggin’s Life Lives On program, each guest and every dollar raised through special events ensures that the memories of loved ones continue through everything the organization does. Raising nearly $30,000, proceeds from the annual Butterfly Release Celebration support end-of-life care for hospice patients and their families, providing compassionate and dignified care for all, without worry of financial hardship.
Androscoggin Home Healthcare and Hospice is the largest, independent non-profit home health and hospice organization in the state. We focus on health – not illness – by making each individual’s quality of life the best it can be. To learn more about Androscoggin, including employment and volunteer opportunities, please visit www.androscoggin.org or call the Community Relations and Development Office at 207-777-7740 ext. 1311.