What's Behind the Butterflies?

When the Monarch butterflies are released from their tiny envelopes and up into the air at Wahkon Days Aug 20, many people watching might not know that they’re witnessing more than just some beautiful little winged insects fluttering against the blue sky.

Each butterfly will become a symbol of a memory of a loved one who has passed on, and the idea began with Anita Sparks.  Sparks was the volunteer coordinator for Mille Lacs Health system back in 1999.

She was looking for a unique fundraiser for the Hospice program. “I thought the butterflies were a wonderful idea,” Sparks said. “Then I found out that a local school could actually raise the butterflies.” Sparks partnered with Program 2 at the Nexus Mille Lacs Academy, and the students raised the butterflies from the egg stage to adulthood. “We did this for a few years till the supply became infected at the source,” Sparks said. “But it was something to experience while it lasted. The boys really were invested in the lives of those butterflies and took that responsibility very seriously.”

Now, the butterflies are obtained from a butterfly ranch near Little Falls and each comes in an origami-release envelope. This 12th annual release will be an important part of the fundraising efforts of the MLHS Hospice, which tends to the needs of patients in a 40 mile radius who are terminally ill.

The Hospice program has six Registered Nurses, five Home Health Aides, a Social Worker, a Volunteer Coordinator, PT/OT and Speech, and 15 volunteers. Along with grants, the program is funded through fundraisers such as the Butterfly Release, Santa Day, bake sales and online auctions, and the Pie Booth at Onamia Days. 

A butterfly can be purchased in the name of a loved one who has passed on, and Sparks said the idea was to offer a measure of comfort within the framework of the fundraiser. “It’s a very healing emotional experience,” she said. “Release and letting go, that’s part of closure.”

Butterflies can be purchased for $10 at the Mile Lacs Messenger, First National Bank in Isle, Woodlands Bank in Onamia, and also by sending $10 and the name of your loved one to: MLHS Hospice, PO Box A, Onamia, MN 56359.

Courtesy of Mary Rains - Mille Lacs Health System