Get Involved this October for Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and Sunday, October 15th is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. First Candle is joining forces with individuals, local, state and national organizations, as well as corporate and retail partners to increase awareness about these tragic causes of infant death.

For those of us who have lost a child, this is a time to come together to remember our babies and also help raise awareness about the importance of the Safe To Sleep ® campaign to help reduce the rate of SIDS and other sleep-related deaths.

Every month over 250 of our babies die from SIDS, Stillbirth and other sleep-related issues.  We can make a difference. If you want to help support SIDS and Stillbirth awareness, this October for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month here are a few easy-to-do fundraising and memorial ideas.  Download our First Candle How To Guide for Special Events and visit our Pinterest page for more ideas.


Fundraisers:

  • These chain restaurants offer fundraising opportunities: PaneraFriendly’sApplebee’s.
  • Spin Studio – Have a gym, fitness studio or spin class nearby? Ask them to host a Spin-a-thon during the month of October with the proceeds going to First Candle. Help them to promote and let people know that for a certain dollar donation they can get healthy and spin for a good cause.
  • Approach local restaurants and car washes to donate a percentage of revenue on October 15th.
  • Hold a The Yankee Candle Company fundraiser. If you sold 100 candles you would raise $1000!
  • Server’s tips – Gather a group of friends, family members, EMTs, etc. to be the servers for a certain evening at the local diner or pub. Let patrons know that the tips from that evening will be donated in your baby’s memory to First Candle.
  • Bake Sale – Ask your local grocery store if you could hold a bake sale outside their store. Since our logo is a cupcake it’s a perfect way to explain to people that their donation is helping all babies reach their first birthday.
  • Game Night Pot Luck Party – Host a game night with everyone chipping in $25 for chips and making it a Pot Luck dinner party. Find a local merchant(s) to donate a gift certificate or prize to the winner. Some game suggestions are Bunco (for how to play click here), Left, Right, Center (instructions here), host a “quiz game” night and charge an entrance fee for attendees or Bingo where guests purchase the cards and prizes are donated by local merchants.
  • Wine Paint Party – Gather a group of friends and enlist the support of a local Wine Paint Bar (you can locate one near you at paintnite.com).
  • Pancake Breakfast – Host a pancake breakfast at your church, synagogue, school or local community center. Get volunteers to donate the breakfast items and help cook.
  • Tag Sale – Clean out your clutter while raising money!
  • Raise awareness by writing a guest blog post on our website. Email linnea@firstcandle.org for guidelines.

Memorials:

  • Host a community memorial service. From an informal garden celebration to a walk across a bridge, to a formal church service, memorial services can be a meaningful event for all families involved.
  • Set up a With Us Forever Memorial.
  • Memorialize your baby with a personalized memorial stone or garden paving stone.
  • Host a memorial reading at your local coffee shop or bookstore. Attendees can read favorite poems, inspirational readings, quotes, or even letters or essays they wrote themselves.
  • Host an art therapy class at a local art school, ceramics center, or at home.
  • Dedicate a star to your baby, prices start at US $54 at the Star Registry.

We are committed to helping support your efforts and ensuring the proceeds go to our important research and education efforts. Please contact us at linnea@firstcandle.org to get started. 

View our Calendar of Events.