By the age of ten one in seven children will experiencethe loss of a parent, sibling or close relative.Thankfully, The Children’s Bereavement Center strivesto help grieving children and families grasp the changesthat come with the loss of a loved one. "We encouragethem to live in it, to love it… and gradually hope shinesthrough."
This year, notonly did the SanAntonio TexasCavaliers shinebright at the parade,they shinedbright knowingthat they werehelping thousandsof children transformgrief intojoy. As the Cavalierskicked offthe "Rio Holiday"parade which highlighted holidays fromValentine’s to Fiesta, many spectators wereable to join in the fun and also commemoratethe charitable honoree, The Children’sBereavement Center. This foundation, oneof–a–kind in San Antonio, provides individualand family counseling, group therapyand anticipatory grief consultations. Theyalso have training programs in continuingeducation and customized workshopsfor professionals in healthcare, education,social services, law enforcement and emergencyresponse.
The Texas Cavaliers have been providing for children’scharities since 1989. The San Antonio annual RiverParade is the one of the largest and most well knownfundraisers organized by the Texas Cavaliers. Their effortswill help the Children’s Bereavement Center fulfillits mission of helping children in San Antonio and BexarCounty. They truly are the backbone in making the paparadea success. At a special pre–parade reception, BobWorth, president of the Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation,welcomed representatives from 50 local children’scharities, who gathered for a photo with a giant $300,000check made out to "the children of San Antonio." Thesethree hundred cavaliers provided the equipment, supportand money to make the paradepossible. They spent countlesshours beforehand placing seatsalong the riverside, helping withticket sales and handling guestrelations. “Spectators will enjoyseeing their favorite holidays representedon beautifully decoratedfloats, and everyone has his or herfavorite holiday because each oneholds special memories for them,so we thought this would be a wonderfulthemefor this year’sparade” saidTom Green,Texas Cavaliers’River ParadeMarshal.During theparade, manySan Antonioelementarystudents wererecognized fortheir talentedart work andten of them were awarded with $10,000 for their schoolto use for art supplies. Along with the prize money, thewinning students’ work will appear in the memorableRiver Parade program book.
Many children were blessed this year by the generoussupport of the Texas Cavaliers. The children were able togrow beyond their grief with diligence, health and totalstrength.
