RANCHO CORDOVA, CA, (CA) - Honoring grandparents at the 2nd annual Grandparents Butterfly Release on Sunday, September 13th took on a profound, unexpected new meaning considering the coronavirus pandemic. The event, co-hosted by Sacramento Children’s Museum (SCM) and Snowline Hospice, invites families to purchase and release butterflies to honor the special role that grandparents play in a child’s life.

Many of last year’s participants honored a grandparent who died. This year, however, families will also honor the wonderful, vulnerable grandparents our community keeps safe by sheltering in place.

Releasing butterflies on Grandparents Day is an ideal event for families craving a safe but inspiring outdoor  event. SCM’s drive-through events this summer – including July’s PajamaJam and semimonthly ExplorAbility events for children with autism, have been wildly popular with museum attendees.

While the vendor booths, interactive games, and indoor museum experience will not be a part of this year’s festivities, attendees can enjoy their own socially distanced space, free giveaways, and outdoor museum programming. Masks are required for all attendees. Families who want to participate, but who don’t yet feel comfortable in a group setting, can schedule curbside pickup for their butterflies.

“It’s important for us to engage families while we’re closed, whether it’s outside of the museum or from their homes,” says Sharon Stone Smith, SCM’s executive director. “We’re delighted to bring our museum family together at such a challenging time.”

Rene Hamlin, Snowline Hospice’s development director, agrees. “This is a wonderful event that brings multiple generations together. Watching a butterfly take flight is an incredibly magical, memorable experience that I look forward to every year.”

Butterflies are available for $15 each on the event’s Facebook page, and must be purchased by August 30th. Proceeds from the event benefit SCM’s distance programming, post-COVID-19 reopening, and Healing All Together (HAT), a program for children dealing with grief.

The 2nd annual Grandparents Day Butterfly Release is on Sunday, September 13th, from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at 2701 Prospect Park Drive, Rancho Cordova, 95670.

This event is sponsored by Republic Services and McDonald’s