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Buffalo, NY, Sept. 15, 2000 - The 8th Annual Walk to Remember for parents who have lost an infant to miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth or newborn death, will take place Sunday, October 1 at 2 p.m. on the campus of Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, 1540 Maple Road, Williamsville. Registration begins at 1 p.m.

Western New York's first Walk to Remember was held in 1992 for a group of 60 people. Last year's event attracted more than 300 parents, siblings, relatives and friends, who gathered to honor the memory of approximately 150 babies. October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and similar walks are held throughout the country as memorials to children who die in infancy each year.

The walk is supported by parents from Western New York's Perinatal Loss Network, the Caring Arms Support Circle and SHARE of Western New York, with assistance from Kaleida Health and Rich Products. The Caring Arms Support Circle provides comfort, support and a comprehensive approach to help families as they come to terms with their grief and remember their babies as the years go by.

The walk concludes at The Circle of Love: A Healing Garden. This memorial garden, located near the Maple Road entrance to Millard Suburban, is a place of comfort and healing for all area families who have lost their babies, regardless of their hospital affiliation or how long ago they experienced their loss. Memorial bricks on the garden's walkway may be purchased by calling the Millard Fillmore Foundation, 716-843-7470.

In the event of inclement weather, participants in the Walk to Remember will meet in the gymnasium at St. Gregory the Great School, next to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital. For more information on the walk, call (716) 568-6653.

Kaleida Health hospitals offer a variety of support groups for those who have had to deal with infant loss, including grandparents and siblings. For more information, call The Children's Hospital of Buffalo at (716) 878-7773 or Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital at (716) 568-6653 or (716) 568-6622.