The Unforgettables Foundation Hosts 17th Annual Lights for Little Lives Memorial Walk by Linda Stratton - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ OCTOBER ►
S M T W T F S
27 28 29 30 01 02 03
04 05 06 07 08 09 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
View Events
Submit Events
directory

The Unforgettables Foundation Hosts 17th Annual Lights for Little Lives Memorial Walk

By Linda Stratton, Community Writer
December 21, 2016 at 11:34am. Views: 274

LOMA LINDA>> Each New Year’s Eve since 2000, a large group, including parents and loved ones who have lost children in the past year or at any time during their lives, gathers at 3:30 pm at the Ronald McDonald House, 11365 Anderson Street in Loma Linda to participate in the moving Lights for Little Lives Memorial Ceremony presented by Redlands-based The Unforgettables Foundation (TUF). This year, three families who lost a child including Andrea and Andres Garcia; Rocio and Ruben Hernandez; and Michael and Jennifer Zambrano, will release a dove at sunset joined by 12 doves in a memorial flight. Many say the dove flight, symbolic of a heavenly journey, is a key highlight of the celebratory awareness event. This moving event is free and open to the public as a way of remembering all children who have lost their lives. The foundation also recognizes those who work to heal, rescue and save children. Three physicians including Dr. Lance Brown, MD; Dr. Douglas Deming, MD; and Dr. Kay Mukergee, MD; will receive Top Doctor Pediatric awards for their compassionate care toward our area children. Ken Campbell will receive the Unforgettable Kiwanis Friend of Children Award. After the ceremony, a 3-block walk will commence led by boy scouts, children, physicians, firemen, funeral professionals, volunteers and faith community leaders. The walk continues down Anderson Street and ends at the Campus Hill Church where there will be a 40-minute ceremony of candle lighting and name reading. Numerous families attend this event annually to recognize a child who has passed. The Lights for Little Lives Memorial Walk and Candle Lighting Ceremony was the very first public event created by TUF after a full year of serving families across the region. The foundation aids families of children 18 years of age down to 32 weeks of pregnancy for all causes of childhood death. To date, more than 5,000 families have been helped with financial and burial support from more than 80 cities in Southern California. The Orange Belt Funeral Directors Association, various clergy associations and medical associations in the region collaborate with the heartwarming celebration of our children in life and in death. The Unforgettables, started as a grass roots cause with the compassionate mission of near daily assisting financially struggling families with funeral costs during the loss of their child, is now as a locally created cause helping nearly 250 families a year, 5,000 in all since inception in SoCal, Southern Nevada and Canada. Chapters are in the works in other areas of the country as well.

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: Dr. April Clay

By Carl M. Dameron, Contributing Writer

October 14, 2026 at 11:03am. Views: 779

“When we support parents, we support children,” says Dr. April Clay, LMFT.

Photo Courtesy of: AI-generated by ChatGPT.

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

September 29, 2026 at 10:13am. Views: 1270

The San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra celebrates its founding in style with a Roaring Twenties-themed gala fundraiser on October 17 at 5p.m. The orchestra invites supporters to celebrate the community, music, and legacy it has built over nearly a century.

Photo Courtesy of: Colton Joint Unified School District

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 05:05pm. Views: 598

Music students at Colton High School will soon enjoy a larger space with more storage, practice rooms, better acoustics and better space for creating, learning and performing. Construction on the Buildings is Set to Start in 2027

Photo Courtesy of: San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools

By Justus Baker-Postell, Community Writer

October 14, 2026 at 11:05am. Views: 1252

State, Local Education Leaders Highlight Nearly $162 Million in CalKIDS Scholarships Available to San Bernardino County Students.

Photo Courtesy of: CIty News Group

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:11pm. Views: 934

An October 2026 study from Loma Linda University suggests a simple dietary change may influence inflammation-related measures in older adults. A bowl of walnuts sits alongside a nutritious breakfast, illustrating the everyday dietary choice examined in Loma Linda University research.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:28pm. Views: 1003

San Bernardino Drug Take Back Day 2026, prescription medication disposal, San Bernardino Police Department, October 24, medication safety, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Community collection efforts offer families a convenient way to remove unwanted prescription drugs from their homes while promoting public safety and protecting the environment.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group AI-generated illustrations

By William Cortez, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:24pm. Views: 522

Long before modern freeways reshaped the Inland Empire, the railroad helped establish San Bernardino as a transportation center. Trains brought passengers, goods, workers and new business opportunities into the region, connecting a growing Southern California community with destinations across the country.

Photo Courtesy of: California Historical Society Collection, USC Libraries Special Collections.

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:22pm. Views: 650

As Redlands continues to grow, its surviving citrus groves offer a living connection to the industry that shaped the city's neighborhoods, economy and identity. Orange trees heavy with fruit line a grove in Redlands around 1900, with snow-covered Mount San Bernardino visible in the distance. The photograph documents the citrus industry that played a central role in the city's early development.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:19pm. Views: 1229

The City of Redlands will host Plane-or-Treat at Redlands Municipal Airport on October 25, featuring trick-or-treating, entertainment and family activities. An AI-generated illustration

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 14, 2026 at 11:03am. Views: 909

Festive University of Redlands Homecoming celebration, with alumni, students, and families gathered on campus wearing maroon Bulldogs apparel. A bulldog mascot greets attendees while cheerleaders and a marching band perform near decorated tents and balloons, with university buildings and mountains in the background.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI-generated illustration

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:11pm. Views: 574

Moreno Valley is preparing to celebrate one of Mexico's most meaningful cultural traditions with an evening dedicated to remembrance, family and community.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI-generated illustration

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:11pm. Views: 549

Moreno Valley Unified School District is continuing its parent education efforts with an October workshop focused on social-emotional learning, positive behavior and bullying prevention.

--> -->