Remembrance Event Featuring Light Display & Water Lantern Release for Families Who Have Lost a Baby | October 15th

Bridget’s Cradles is honored to host their annual Wave of Light event that will be held on Sunday, October 15th, 2023, on Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day, at Beech Lake in Wichita, Kansas. This year’s event is presented by Wesley Women’s Hospital. Bereaved families can participate in this community candlelight vigil along with their friends and family. 

Families will walk along a path featuring a light display of 50,000 pink, blue, and white lights in memory of their babies in Heaven in the Hope Walk sponsored by Smith Orthodontics. The event will conclude with a beautiful water lantern release on the lake sponsored by Don Hattan Dealerships.

The Wave of Light will be a special night of hope and healing in remembrance of babies gone too soon.

EVENT DETAILS

When Is It?

October 15, 2023

6:30-8:00 PM | Beech Lake | Wichita, Kansas *You will receive a map with instructions when you register here.  

Who is Invited?

This is a FREE event for families who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss, and their family and friends. Community members who want to support the cause are welcome to attend as well.

How Do I Register?

Everyone who plans to attend the Wave of Light event should register on Bridget’s Cradles’ website in order to receive a confirmation email with a map, specific driving instructions, and additional details about the event. You will also be given information on how to have your baby’s name read at the event. Please register here.

Order Wave of Light Apparel

Wave of Light “WE SHINE THEIR LIGHT TOGETHER” shirts and hoodies are also available for purchase online. This apparel has been designed to be worn at any time during the year, especially during October Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness month. They can be purchased by anyone, including those who cannot attend the event on October 15th in Wichita, Kansas. 

Bridget’s Cradles wants these shirts to be a beacon of light and hope to remember babies in Heaven and raise awareness about pregnancy loss. You can order their 2023 Wave of Light shirts available in three colors (pink, blue, or gray) and in short sleeve, long sleeve, and hoodies here

(Note: In order to receive the shirts in time for the event on October 15th, you must order your shirts by September 24th. T-shirts will not be sold after this date).

Sponsor Lights in Memory of a Baby

A donation of $100 to Bridget’s Cradles will allow you to sponsor a “Wave of Light” (a cluster of 5 light poles each 10 feet high) in memory of your baby. A personalized sign will be displayed in front of your baby’s light cluster at the event. Your baby’s name will also be included in the event program.

In addition, if you’d like to donate more than $100 or host a fundraiser to support the mission of Bridget’s Cradles, you can participate in the Shine Their Light fundraising campaign and sponsor the event in memory of your baby. You will receive additional benefits dependent on the amount you donate/raise (e.g., free t-shirts, your baby’s name on the shirts, website, etc). Memorial sponsorships are due by September 20th and the fundraiser closes on October 31st.

Please visit their website to find more information on sponsoring lights and the Shine Their Light fundraising campaign. There, you will also find a helpful FAQ section.

“We look forward to lighting up the night in memory of our babies in Heaven and sharing a night of hope with you!” 

– Ashley Opliger, Executive Director of Bridget’s Cradles


Bridget’s Cradles is a nonprofit organization founded in Wichita, KS after Matt and Ashley Opliger’s daughter, Bridget Faith, was stillborn in October 2014. The ministry provides knitted and crocheted cradles to over 1,300 hospitals in all 50 states to hold babies who were born into Heaven during the second trimester of pregnancy.

Bridget’s Cradles also has a local support ministry called Hope Gatherings and provides online hope-filled resources for families grieving the loss of a baby including a podcast called Cradled in Hope.