A LEGACY OF LOVE

I never met Katie Beth Carter, but the impact she left on her community and the world is clear. Throughout her eighteen years of life, she left a legacy of love and kindness that swept through the nation. Her death in 2016 was unimaginably tragic and shocking for all who had the blessing of knowing her, and on September 1st, we honor her memory and the beautiful work that her family continues to do.

The Butterfly Festival was born after yellow butterflies, which are said to be symbols of the departed souls of children, began appearing in strangely significant places—too precise and too often to be a coincidence.

Launched in 2017, this year is the second annual Butterfly Festival and will be held outdoors at Heritage High School on September 1st from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Those who attended the festival last year will find a lot of things that are the same, said Mr. Carter, but they have added food vendors and more acts. The festival this year will have local artisans, businesses, and vendors. There will also be inflatables, a petting zoo, games, and an arts and crafts table for kids. There will be a balloon and butterfly release for the grand finale in honor of Katie Beth. The event will be sponsored by Live and Love Ministries, owned by Amy and Jason Carter, Katie’s parents; 100 percent of proceeds will go to the Katie Beth Carter Memorial Scholarship Fund. The fee per person is $10, $50 maximum per family, but one can get in for $5 if you pay for tickets to the Indra Thomas concert, also at Heritage High School.

Before the Butterfly Festival at 10:00, there will be a Walk for Life. Mr. Carter noted that they decided to add this to the Festival after the Carters received a call from a mutual friend whose child had committed suicide. “This has been an issue in the last few years, and she wanted to do a Walk for Life,” he said. “We want to bring awareness to the fact that people have lost people and that [mental illness] is an issue.” At 9:00 a.m., there will be both a 3-mile and 1-mile walk. The Carters hope that Walk attendees will stay afterwards for the festival.

Actress and soprano Indra Thomas will be appearing at the High School accompanied by Julie Carver, performing songs of Thomas’ choice from a range of diverse genres. You may recognize Indra Thomas from “The Upside” (2017), “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989), or “Live From Lincoln Center” (1976).  According to Mr. Carter, Thomas is “a long-time friend of Mrs. Carter’s from college.” Thomas has appeared at many of the world’s great opera houses, and she has traveled to Paris, Spain, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, and Abu Dhabi for her artistry. Thomas has also had roles in radio and television broadcasts, including “Aida,” “Don Carlo,” and “II Trovatore.” She was nominated in 2009 for a Grammy Award in the “Best Choral Performance” category and has been called an “artist of incredible sensitivity, poise, and virtuosity”: a wonderful fit for an event honoring Katie Beth Carter.

Thomas will be performing in the Heritage High School theater on September 1st, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. There is limited seating, so buy tickets as soon as you can; they are $20 per person for general admission, and it’s an extra ten dollars for VIP tickets which include preferred seating and a meet and greet afterwards.

If you wish, you can attend one or both of these events to contribute to this fantastic cause in memory of KB, who was taken from us far too early yet had a phenomenal impact on so many people from all over the world.