June 8 ice cream social honors dads, father figures

Father’s Day can be painful for those who have lost a father or father figure. Memories come flooding back. Feelings of grief and loss are often intensified on this special holiday dedicated to honoring dads.  To help those who are grieving, the Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Bereavement Center is hosting a pre-Father’s Day Ice Cream Social on Saturday, June 8, 1 to 3 p.m., at Ames Family Hospice House, 30080 Hospice Way in Westlake. Anyone who has experienced the loss of a father or father figure is welcome to attend the free community event – no connection to hospice is necessary. To register for the free event, call Felicia at 216-486-6335.

Activities will be held outdoors, on the patio at Ames Family Hospice House, weather permitting. A commemorative art activity is planned (no experience is necessary), Lorain’s Golden Crescent Chorus barbershop quartet will perform, and an ice cream sundae bar will be provided by Mitchell’s Ice Cream. A spiritual care coordinator from Hospice of the Western Reserve will share brief stories about his own experiences of losing his dad.

Participants are encouraged to bring photos of their fathers or father figures to display on a table of remembrance for a short memorial reading of names. All those who attend are encouraged to enjoy the flowering perennial gardens and stroll the wooded trails located throughout the grounds following the presentation.