MOTHER’S DAY EVENTS

Children, teens, and young adults from across New England gathered at Gillette Stadium for an unforgettable Mother’s Day event— a day to honor + remember our moms alongside a supportive community of those who get it. We want to extend the warmest thank you to all who joined us at our Mother’s Day Event as we shared stories of loss + love and made connections that will last a lifetime.

Thank you to Gillette Stadium for opening their beautiful space for this amazing day. A very special thank you to our incredible Hosts, Megan and Kristen and our planning committee members: Hayden, Molly, Jami, Alice, Jamie, Pat, Arun, John, Tanya, and Eimear.

There were fun and meaningful activities for everyone, from yoga with Kim from TraveledandBalanced, high-energy dancing with Michelle from SoulFire Movement, and outdoor lawn games, with John R, who led coaching drills, outside activities, and challenges for the boys.

The girls enjoyed making friendship bracelets, flower crowns, and getting pampered with self-care, hair, and nails, thanks to Alexandra, an Empower Mentor and owner of Petalouda Salon in Brookline and her crew of amazing stylists, Pat, Sarah, Abbie, Jessica, and Melissa, and to our nail artists Trang and Stephanie. Paulina and Kelly from Comer Teng Studio led the girls in jewelry making and vision boards. The boys dove into hands-on fun with Legos, wood crafts, Nerf challenges, and even a survival skills challenge where they learned how to pitch tents, tie knots, and read a compass.

Everyone got to try on real Super Bowl rings and take photos with a “Ride the Wave” balloon arch designed by the talented Taryn. We were also joined by a special guest, Kevin’s sweet service dog, Winnie. There were moments of reflection and connection during the Q&A circle time, led by Christine and John L and we closed with a gratitude circle, reflecting on the love we carry and the community we share. Each participant was able to walk away with an Empower “swag bag” filled with fun goodies!

Lastly, a special thank you to our incredible photographers, Mia Andreoli and Chris Capozzi, and talented videographer Andrea Alpen for capturing the day! To the dozens of volunteers who opened their hearts to Empower, we THANK YOU for building community and bringing love to children and young adults ✨