Register NOW for the Sweet Pea Picnic!
Registration closes on April 30, 2019
Sweet Pea Project's 9th Annual
SWEET PEA SISTERS & BROTHERS PICNIC
at Dutch Wonderland
We are so excited to announce that we will be returning to Dutch Wonderland for Sweet Pea Project's 9th Annual Sisters & Brothers Picnic!
As you well know, there is no greater pain for a parent than the pain of outliving their child. But we parents are not the only ones who suffer. The death of a baby can be very difficult on our surviving children, and even our subsequent children. These kids witness their parents wrestling with overwhelming grief, and struggle with their own feelings of sadness and confusion. They deserve a day just to be carefree children, playing with their parents in the sunshine and having fun, and that is what our annual children's events are all about.
Sweet Pea Project will hold this special event for children who have lost a brother or sister during pregnancy or infancy on Saturday, June 1, 2019. (In case of bad weather, our rain date is Sunday, June 2.) Parents are invited to bring their surviving and subsequent children to Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, PA for a day of family fun. Guests will have full access to all the rides, waterpark, and shows from 10am until 8:30pm- and are invited to join us for a free all-you-can-eat pizza buffet, snacks, drinks, and ice cream sundae bar from 12:30-2:30.
We will also be replenishing our Remembrance Garden will fresh flowers thanks to the generous, family owned Shenk's Greenhouse on Old Philadelphia Pike. The children are invited to briefly pause from the fun of the rides, food, and waterpark to spend a few quiet moments kneeling down in the garden with their hands in the earth, planting colorful flowers to serve as a beautiful remembrance of their brother and/or sister, at the base of our Royal Burgundy Flowering Cherry tree.
Guests who have attended previous events are welcome to wear their picnic shirts, and we hope everyone else will consider making their own personalized shirts to wear. We encourage you to use kelly green shirts from AC Moore or Michaels (for about $3) so that we are all wearing the same color. We were so very impressed by the creativity on display last year- we loved seeing the shirts you all designed for your families! And it created such an amazing feeling of community and unity to see Sweet Pea Project green spreading throughout the amusement park! Families who arrive in their own green shirts will be automatically entered into a special drawing for a fun prize!
This event is free for all bereaved siblings, but we are asking this year for each parent who wishes to attend to please donate a minimum of $20 per parent. We have always made sure that every aspect of our community events were entirely free to bereaved families- and it weighed heavy on our hearts as we struggled to make the decision to request this donation this year. What it came down to, though, was that we had two options: Request a donation to cover a fraction of the cost per parent, or take a year off from hosting this particular event. As an organization, we are always focusing on the needs of our community, and providing them with the services that we hope can soothe their broken hearts in small but important ways. Because of that, we spend very little time fundraising. Other organizations seem to be holding a constant battery of fundraising events, but that's just not what we are about. And so, with the large financial burden of this annual event coupled with the unfortunate truth that many of the people who register often fail to show up, we decided that requesting a small donation was the most responsible move. We hope you understand.
Grandparents, cousins, and other extended family members are welcome to join us at the picnic, and may register to attend for a donation to Sweet Pea Project of at least $35 per person- which includes park admission, parking, and food (a $70+ value). Please note: regular admission tickets will not allow guests to access our private event area, pizza, drinks, ice cream sundae bar, snacks, flower planting, free parking, etc. Season pass holders still need to register to be granted access to these areas as well.
Registration is required for this event, and will close on April 30. Please contact Beth@sweetpeaproject.org with any questions you may have. Register at https://remembrance.wufoo.com/forms/sweet-pea-project-sisters-brothers-picnic/
