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Live Butterfly Release In Pahrump And Summerlin

There will be a live butterfly release in Pahrump on Sunday, April 2nd. This will be the 18th annual “Celebration of Life Live Butterfly Release” hosted by Nathan Adelson Hospice in Pahrump. This annual…

Butterfly release
luigi giordano via Getty Images

There will be a live butterfly release in Pahrump on Sunday, April 2nd. This will be the 18th annual "Celebration of Life Live Butterfly Release" hosted by Nathan Adelson Hospice in Pahrump. This annual event helps to give those who have lost loved ones in the past year a chance to celebrate their life, find peace, and honor their memories.

According to an article written by Robin Hebrock for the Pahrump Valley Times on PVTimes.com, participants, executives, volunteers, staff, and community members will all be gathering at the Calvada Eye, 2100 Walt Williams Drive, at 2pm on the first Sunday in April. Even if you are not participating in this emotional ceremony, the event is free and open to the public. The release of so many butterflies often brings many of the mourners to tears.

That is very understandable. We have all lost loved ones who were near and dear to us. It can be a very emotional time after the death of a loved one, and the good people of Nathan Adelson Hospice who help families and friends deal with the death of a loved one, know how much this type of emotional outpouring can help bring peace, hope, and relief to those in mourning.

So how did this unique event begin? It is based on the Native American legend that butterflies can carry the wishes of those still alive up to the heavens. Hebrock's article goes on to explain that Native Americans believed that if you captured a butterfly and whispered your wish to it, the butterfly would carry that wish to the Great Spirit in the sky, and your wish would be granted.

I just visited the Nathan Adelson Hospice website, NAH.org, and found out there will be a similar event on The Lawn in Downtown Summerlin at 2pm, Sunday April 2nd. This will be the 18th annual "John Anderson Celebration of Life Live Butterfly Release" in Summerlin.

So, whether you decide to drive "over the hump to Pahrump," or you head to Downtown Summerlin, enjoy the spectacle of these live butterfly release ceremonies and honor the memory of your departed loved ones.

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Larry Martino is the long-time Afternoon Drive personality on 96.3 KKLZ. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of Larry Martino and not necessarily those of Beasley Media Group, LLC.

Memorial Day In Las Vegas: Honoring Those Who Are No Longer With Us

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, which means it's time to honor the people who died while selflessly serving our country.

Although many people use this weekend as time to "celebrate," this is a sullen and somber day for many in our community.

As Norman Schwarzkopf said, "It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle."

According to the Library of Congress, Commander in Chief John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic designated May 30 as memorial day through issuing General Order Number 11.

He dedicated this day, “for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land," the Library of Congress said on its website.

As some of us cook up summertime food, letting smoke billow from our grills, let's take a moment to give honor to those who are no longer with us.

Since the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan, over 50 Nevadans have died in combat or are listed in Nevada's Book of Fallen Heroes.

We want to dedicate this post to the individuals who risked and sacrificed their lives to ensure the safety and freedom of ours. Both of the wars listed above have ended, but the effects can still be felt in our own state.

According to the Nevada Department of Veteran Services, a fallen hero is defined as a "Nevadan serving in the military . . . who becomes a casualty 'in action,' as a direct result of hostile action, or is the victim of a terrorist activity (see below for definition of In-Action and Nevadan)."

We send healing and honor to the families of those who've fallen, and we wish gratitude as Memorial Day comes upon us.

Below are the names of local heroes who died in combat or died "as a result of a combat theater-related injury or disease within one year of returning from theater."

LCPL Donald Cline - 21 years old

    2LT Frederick Pokorney - 31 years old

      CPL William Salazar - 26 years old

        PFC John Lukac - 19 years old

          LCPL Nicholas H. Anderson - 19 years old

            PFC Daniel Guastaferro - 27 years old

              LCPL Richard Perez - 19 years old

                SGT Eric Morris - 31 years old

                  CPL Stanley Lapinski - 35 years old

                    CPL Jesse Jaime - 22 years old

                      SPC Anthony Cometa - 21 years old

                        2LT James Cathey - 24 years old

                          CPL Joseph Martinez - 21 years old

                            PFC Thomas Siekert - 20 years old

                              PVT Joshua Morberg - 20 years old

                                SGT Gordon Misner II - 23 years old

                                  CPL Shawn Lasswell Jr. - 21 years old

                                    SPC Teodoro Torres - 29 years old

                                      1SG Carlos Saenz - 46 years old

                                        SSG Emmanuel Legaspi - 38 years old

                                          PFC David Crombie - 19 years old

                                            SPC Ignacio Ramirez - 22 years old

                                              LCPL Jeremy Long - 18 years old

                                                PFC Phillip Williams - 21 years old

                                                  SGT Kenneth Bostic - 21 years old

                                                    1LT Nathan Krissoff - 25 years old

                                                      LCPL Raul Bravo - 21 years old

                                                        SGT Anthony Schober - 23 years old

                                                          PFC Alexander Varela - 19 years old

                                                            PFC Joshua Modgling - 22 years old

                                                              SPC Travis Virgadamo - 19 years old

                                                                SSG Michael Townes - 19 years old

                                                                  SSG Alfred Paredez - 32 years old

                                                                    SSG Sean Gaul - 29 years old

                                                                      Nevada’s Fallen Heroes – Afghanistan

                                                                      "The War in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) began in October 2001 in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. America withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, bringing to a close America’s longest war in its history," The Nevada Department of Veterans Services said on its website.

                                                                      LTC Karen Wagner - 40 years old

                                                                        SPC Jason Disney - 21 years old

                                                                          SSG Kerry Frith - 37 years old

                                                                            PFC Matthew Commons - 21 years old

                                                                              PO2 Eric Patton- 22 years old

                                                                                SGT Patrick Stewart - 35 years old

                                                                                  CWO John Flynn Army - 36 years old

                                                                                    SGT John Griffith - 33 years old

                                                                                      SGT Robert Kassin - 29 years old

                                                                                        CWO Joshua Rodgers - 29 years old

                                                                                          SGT David Drakulich - 22 years old

                                                                                            PFC Willington Rhoad - 23 years old

                                                                                              SPC Ezra Dawson - 31 years old

                                                                                                PFC Kevin Thomson - 22 years old

                                                                                                  SGT Josue Chavez - 23 years

                                                                                                    SPC Matthew Hennigan - 20 years old

                                                                                                      SGT Frank Zaehringer III - 23 years old

                                                                                                        SPC Brian Tabada - 21 years old

                                                                                                          SGT Timothy Sayne - 31 years old