General News
10 October, 2026
Remembering the lives we hold in our hearts
EMOTIONS will run high next Thursday evening when the community gathers to remember some special little lives lost too soon.
‘Light the Way Warrnambool,’ an official Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day event, will be held on the Civic Green from 6pm on Thursday.
Organised by Wish Collective and Love From Dad, the evening will provide an opportunity for the community to gather for the premiere of a video featuring local voices (and those from afar) answering the question, ‘What does pregnancy and infant loss awareness mean to you?’
At 7pm participants will join the international ‘Wave of Light,’ with flameless candles provided as our community remembers babies and pregnancies lost, and stands alongside the families who carry them with them.
For the Warrnambool event, 180 flameless candles will be available, allowing those at the Civic Green to ‘light’ a candle together in a shared moment of remembrance.
“For the past two years we have informally encouraged local businesses and landmarks to light up pink and blue in recognition of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month,” co-founder of Wish Collective Sarah Wallace said.
“This year, we are taking it further and inviting the whole community to be a part of it.
“Throughout the day businesses, organisations and residents are being encouraged to light up pink and blue, wear pink and blue, and share their participation.”
Those attending are encouraged to take along a picnic rug or their own seating, as well as food and non-alcoholic drinks, and settle in for the evening.
“The gathering is designed to be relaxed and informal, giving people time to connect with one another before coming together for the Wave of Light at 7pm,” Sarah said.
“This event is all about creating a space where pregnancy and infant loss could be acknowledged openly and families could feel seen, supported and remembered.
“Pregnancy and infant loss affects so many families, but it can still be something people feel they have to carry quietly. We want Light the Way to show families that their babies matter, their experiences matter, and there is a whole community willing to stand beside them.”
Love from Dad’s Matt McConnell said acknowledgement was one of the simplest but most meaningful ways a community could support bereaved families.
“For families who have experienced the loss of a baby, knowing that their child is remembered matters enormously,” Matt said.
“Light the Way is creating a space where our babies can be spoken about, remembered and acknowledged, while showing families that they don’t have to carry their grief alone.”
Wish Collective and Love From Dad are currently inviting people to take part in a community video, with contributions welcomed from bereaved parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, health professionals, support people, local businesses and other community members.
Anyone who would like to be part of the community video is encouraged to contact Wish Collective.
Video contributions can be submitted via email to wishcollective@outlook.com and must be received by 5pm this Saturday, October 10.
Contributors will also need to provide consent for their video, image and name to be included in the finished video and shared through associated social media channels.
“This isn’t only an event for bereaved families,” Sarah said.
“It’s an opportunity for our whole community to stand alongside them. Sometimes acknowledgement can be as simple as saying I remember with you; that’s really what Light the Way is about.”
Organisers are hoping to livestream the evening so those who aren’t able to attend, or who are not comfortable attending in person, can participate from home.
