Jessi Ruotolo and Kathy Gardner are organizing this year’s Walk to Remember and Wave of Light on October 15, which is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. Those who wish to participate can meet the organizers in front of Newtown Community Center, 8 Simpson Street, at 6:30 pm.

Participants will then walk around the Fairfield Hills campus. A Wave of Light candle lighting will be at 7 pm to coincide with the Global Wave of Light that happens annually around the world. There will also be a reading of baby names to honor all the babies that were gone too soon but are never forgotten.

This event is not only for families directly impacted, but also for friends, colleagues, healthcare professionals, and anyone else who wants to show support to grieving families. This is a pain that truly never dies — sharing this special day with people who also miss their babies is deeply impactful.

In the United States, about 21,000 babies are stillborn every year. That is about one in every 175 births. The number of stillbirths each year is more than three times the combined number of infant deaths from prematurity and SUID/SIDS combined.

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, first designated in 1988. Congress passed legislation designating October 1988 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and President Ronald Reagan issued the proclamation. As he says in his proclamation, this observance "offers us the opportunity to increase our understanding of the great tragedy involved in the deaths of unborn and newborn babies. It also enables us to consider how, as individuals and communities, we can meet the needs of bereaved parents and family members and work to prevent causes of these problems."

For more information, e-mail Gardner at kgardner808@gmail.com.