Ad

Celebrating the Memory of Son Thomas, Groves Family Continues to Search Out Ways to Uplift Others

By Julie Perine on July 12, 2018 via Connect-Bridgeport.com

Since the 2011 death of 11-year-old Thomas Groves, his parents Matt and Melanie Groves have looked for ways to celebrate their son and create goodwill in his memory.
 
This year, what would have been Thomas’s 19th birthday, the Groves family – which also includes 12-year-old Jordan – will form a walking team to participate in the Memory Walk of the Bereaved Parents of the USA. Monies raised through the event will fund future activities of the group, which supports bereaved families in many ways.
 
The walk will be held Aug. 5 at the BPUSA national gathering in Memphis, Tenn. Not only is the Bridgeport family participating as the Thomas Henri Groves Memory Walk Team, but Melanie Groves is co-chairing the gathering and the organization’s first-ever memory walk. Next year, she’ll head up the gathering, open to member families across the U.S.
 
The BPUSA was there for the Groves family and they want to help other families heal, Melanie Groves said.
 
“When Thomas passed away in 2011, we needed a source of comfort and support and found Bereaved Parents of the USA,” she said. “It helps families heal -  not quickly, but to find a better road to healing – and gives them hope and a sense of security that they are not alone in their journeys.”
 
The annual gathering brings together parents, siblings, grandparents and other grieving family members, who participate in workshops featuring various topics. This year’s theme, Groves said, is “Whispers of Hope.”
 
Money raised through the memory walk will enhance next year’s gathering experience and enable BPUSA to continue to carry out its mission. That is done through a variety of ways.
 
“For example, at the site of the Connecticut shooting a few years ago, we sent a small delegation to the town to support families,” Groves said. “Following the shooting in Florida earlier this year, the Tampa chapter went to the Parkland Day of Remembrance and set up there to provide support.”
 
BPUSA provides hope, letting families know they are not alone.
 
“It gives us a sense of outreach and comfort and a way to help someone else out who otherwise might not know where to turn,” Groves said. “That’s how we raised Thomas too. We wanted to give something in his memory. Even though our hearts break, this helps fill the void.”
 
Donate to the Thomas Henri Groves Memory Walk Team HERE
and learn more about BPUSA HERE. Matt and Melanie Groves head up the North Central West Virginia Chapter and can be reached at melanie.e.groves@gmail.com.
 
The Groves family also provides scholarships to graduating high school seniors. Since 2014, the Thomas Groves Memorial Scholarship has financially assisted students seeking education in a career field to benefit individuals with special needs. The first scholarship recipient graduated nursing school this year, Groves said. The scholarship is one of many under the umbrella of the BHS Alumni & Friends Foundation. This year's recipients were Gia Salentro (pictured left) and Imoni Saab (right). 
 
The family also sponsors a team – Thomas’s Red Socks - through the Bridgeport Little League Challenger Division. This year, for the first time, Jordan served as a buddy for her brother’s team.
 



Connect Bridgeport
© 2024 Connect-Bridgeport.com