Jim Tkach to address bereaved parents and families Dec. 11

The 12th Annual Worldwide Candle Lighting of the Lighthouse Chapter of The Compassionate Friends will be held starting at 7 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 11, at Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth.

The Worldwide Candle Lighting spans the globe, with the first candles being lit in New Zealand and then moving westward through various time zones. It sweeps across the United States and Canada until it ends in the Pacific Ocean. Parents, families and friends are invited to the nonsectarian ceremony of music, readings and candle lighting to memorialize children who have died at any age.

Jim Tkach will also address the group that evening.  Jim Tkach and his wife Sandi are the founders of the Bo Tkach Foundation, founded in 2007 after the tragic death of their oldest son Bo. Jim is a graduate of Lycoming College with a bachelor's degree in sociology and education and a master's degree from Lehigh University in educational administration.

Tkach's presentation is titled "Under the Helmet and Hat is a Child That Needs Us." He will recount the story of his son, Bo Tkach, and his struggles, as well as the importance of reaching out to provide help and assistance in difficult times.

Tkach said that the mission of the foundation is to create awareness for obsessive compulsive disorders and mental health Issues. Last year the foundation presented 32 talks in schools, colleges, churches and community programs. It also provided funds for under-insured individuals to receive mental health screening and treatment. In addition, the foundation provides scholarships and support to local athletic programs. For information go to www.botkach.com/index.html.

Lighthouse Chapter team co-leader Joan Wallen said, "The holiday season is an extremely difficult time of the year for families grieving the death of a child. This annual candle-lighting ceremony transcends all ethnic, cultural, religious and political boundaries as tens of thousands of families share in this world wide memorial event."

Marge LaFond, also a member of the chapter's leadership, noted: "Not only in the Lewes-Rehoboth Beach area but throughout the United States, bereaved parents and families in more than 630 chapters observe this ceremony in various ways, some alone, some with friends and family, and many in organized candle-llighting ceremonies like our event. We invite everyone who has suffered the death of a child to join in this moving tribute." Participants are asked to come to Epworth Church around 6:30 to register their child's name and date of death so they can be read at the candle lighting. Epworth Church is at 19285 Holland Glade Road off Route 1 north of Rehoboth Beach.

The candle lighting will begin with an audio/video presentation of photos of children who have died. Readings, song and Tkach's presentation will follow. The memorial highlight of the Lighthouse Chapter's program is when each child's name and date of death are read, a bell is tolled and candles are held aloft by parents, family and friends in tribute to each child. Also, a special Memory Tree will feature ornaments with the names and photos of chapter members' deceased children.

Accoding to TCF, candles are first lit around 7 p.m., local time, just west of the International Date Line. As candles burn down in one time zone, they are lighted in the next, creating a 24-hour wave of light as the observance continues around the world.

Refreshments will be served following the Candle Lighting.

With the theme So That Their Light May Always Shine, the Worldwide Candle Lighting has grown larger every year with formal services last year in all 50 United States and Washington D.C., as well as at least 20 countries around the world. The Compassionate Friends' national website, www.compassionatefriends.org, typically receives and posts information on more than 500 services listed on its website. The website will also feature a Remembrance Book on December 11 which, in a 24-hour-period normally receives thousands of tributes from family members and other caring individuals.

For information about the Candle Lighting, for submitting a photo for the Memorial Tree or about the Lighthouse Chapter, call team leaders Hope Tyler at 302-645-7572, Joan Wallen at 302-226-1623 or Marge LaFond at 302-703-2383. For more information about TCF and locations of chapters nationwide, call toll-free 877-969-0010 or visit TCF's national website. The Compassionate Friends has a presence in 30 countries and is the world's largest self-help bereavement organization.