Today, warm thoughts remain of the 12th annual Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting. The Worldwide Candle Lighting was held last Sunday and on TCF's national website more than 500 services were posted for services held in the United States and around the world. There is little doubt that hundreds of additional formal services were held. Tens and probably hundreds of thousands of candles were lighted in homes during the day and especially at 7 p.m., the official time of the Worldwide Candle Lightng.

Thank you to the scores of people who opened their hearts in the remembrance of special children and spent countless hours of their free time to plan and hold services that accomodated tens of thousands of grieving family members, relatives, and friends. We hope that this was as gratifying for you as it was for us at The Compassionate Friends National Office who spent hundreds of hours this year in planning this day with all the details that help to make it work.

During the 24 hours of the Worldwide Candle Lighting, thousands of people left messages in our online Remembrance Book. We encourage you to spend a few minutes reading the many heartfelt messages left by those remembering their special children. 

Remembrance Book

It is never too early to think about next year. There's always room for more services open to the public and those of us at The Compassionate Friends are always available at 877-969-0010 to answer your questions. If you would like to hold a service next year, you may wish to use this brochure as a starting point to help in the planning.

Suggestions to Help Plan Memorial Services in Conjunction with The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting®

Please remember that this special day is open to all who wish to honor the memoris of the children we love. This year, besides chapters of The Compassionate Friends, we had chapters of  many other national grief support organizations, as well as churches, funeral homes, hospitals, hospices and people who simply wanted to make a difference in their community by holding a Worldwide Candle Lighting service. Thank you to the many members of the media who contacted the National Office and the sponsors of local services for information on the Wordwide Candle Lighting before the day arrived. You can read those stories we have access to online below. As we receive links, we will make stories available after the Worldwide Candle Lighting, too.

Media Stories Before the 2008 Worldwide Candle Lighting

Media Stories After the 2008 Worldwide Candle Lighting

Again, thank you to all who participated in the Worldwide Candle Lighting in any way. We do this  . . . that their light may always shine!®