Hospice’s annual butterfly release moves online

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a lot of things into the virtual world, and that includes honoring deceased loved ones.

The Nathan Adelson Hospice, which cares for an average of 400 hospice and palliative care patients daily, has announced it will take an annual tradition online this year.

In order to make sure individuals can honor loved ones who have passed away, Nathan Adelson Hospice will hold its 17th Annual Celebration of Life Live Butterfly Release via online video this year. The virtual event will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 19.

The hospice also announced that previously scheduled gatherings on April 19 at the Lawn at Downtown Summerlin and April 26 at the Calvada Eye in Pahrump have been canceled.

“Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to monitor the situation with COVID-19,” said Caleen Norrod Johnson, executive director of the Nathan Adelson Hospice Foundation. “We apologize for any inconvenience and disappointment our decision will cause. We thank everyone for their continued support as well as our valued sponsors and our charity partners.”

The virtual event will allow anyone who has ever lost a loved one to remember and honor them with a nondenominational spiritual service followed by the release of live butterflies. The video will be available on the nah.org website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

All of the proceeds benefit Nathan Adelson Hospice programs and services, which help ensure that no one ends the journey of life alone, afraid or in pain.

Nathan Adelson Hospice is the largest nonprofit hospice in Southern Nevada and includes the Center for Compassionate Care, a nonprofit counseling agency providing counseling services to address grief, loss and issues related to surviving life-threatening illnesses. For more information, visit nah.org.