Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Aug. 21, 2025 – With the symbolic release of hundreds of live butterflies, the 18th annual Butterfly Release continues to celebrate and honor the memories of loved ones impacted by hospice.
Hosted by the St. Bernards Advocates through the St. Bernards Foundation, the foundation’s business development manager, Alden Weeks, said the Butterfly Release raises money for the Flow and Phil Jones Hospice House.
“This event is able to raise money so that folks continue to get Hospice care here in our area and specifically in that facility,” Weeks said. “It’s a really beautiful time for people to come together and release butterflies in honor or memory of someone.”
According to Weeks, the program consists of a speaker, who is typically someone whose family has been impacted by the Hospice House, a choir performance and the release of hundreds of butterflies.
“Everyone that purchases butterflies can open their butterfly and we release them at the same time and watch all the butterflies soar,” Weeks said. “[It’s] a really cool moment, but it’s just a special event to remember folks, and also honor those who are still left.”
Weeks noted that whenever someone purchases a butterfly, they are prompted to share if it’s in honor or memory of someone. Those who purchase butterflies can send an acknowledgement card through the foundation.
“We’ll send it from our office to someone. So, for example, I purchase butterflies every year in honor of my grandpa or in memory of my grandparents and I send an acknowledgement card to my mom and dad so that they can see that someone purchased a butterfly in honor of their parents. So, it’s a really special gift that you can give someone,” Weeks said.
The deadline to get names submitted for the program is Aug. 29; however, Weeks said there are typically butterflies that didn’t sell available after the deadline, which can be purchased by calling the foundation office.
The event will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7, in the St. Bernards Imaging Center parking lot, located at 1144 E. Matthews Ave.
Butterflies are $16 each, or 10 butterflies are $150. They can be purchased through the St. Bernards Foundation website or by calling the foundation office at 870-207-2500. Butterflies are picked up at the event.
“It’s super cool whenever you’re at the event because it’s just hundreds and hundreds of butterflies flying and whenever our MC tells you to release your butterflies, it’s really special,” Weeks said.
