Bridget’s Cradles concluded our Shine Their Light fundraiser held during October Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness month.

We had set a goal to raise $75,000 in our peer-to-peer fundraiser, and though we didn’t meet the goal, we still raised significant funds to comfort grieving families.

Together, we raised $37,837!

We couldn’t have done this without each person who so generously donated to the fundraiser. Each gift will impact the lives of bereaved families by shining a light in the darkness of their grief.

Each year at Wave of Light, we award the team that raised the most funds (*excluding board members’ teams) with the Shine Their Light award.

This year, we are honored to announce the winner of the 2025 Shine Their Light award:

Stephen and Laura Ondrovich

In memory of their son, Thomas Stephen Ondrovich, they raised $2,000.

Laura shared, “Our son Thomas was born still on 12/26/2022 at 21w6d. He was so small but also perfect. He had my nose and the longest feet and hands. He was eventually placed in a cradle and handed to us. We were fortunate to have a photographer from Now I lay me down to sleep take pictures, including him in his cradle.

I didn’t realize the significance of the cradle at the time, just that it was beautiful. We were discharged with a keepsake box but I didn’t open it for some time. My sister in law did research for a support group and found Bridget’s Cradles for me. When I saw the cradles on the website, I knew it had to be connected. I started attending Hope online and was able to attend a Mother’s Day event and the Wave of Light in 2024. This organization means so much to me. It is such a blessing to be part of a faith based support group and we will forever be grateful for what Bridget’s Cradles has done for us.

Raising funds for Shine their light means so much to me because in our darkest hour we had comfort holding Thomas in his beautiful cradle. This would not be possible without all this fundraiser and all of the volunteers! We set a goal of raising $1000 last year  and met it! So this year I said we are going to double that, which we did thanks to our friends and family.”

Thank you so much, Stephen and Laura, for shining a light in memory of your precious Thomas.

---

We also want to thank the following Memorial Sponsors and Shine Their Light teams for fundraising:

• SRG and Bridget (Matt & Ashley Opliger) raised $8,100 in memory of Ashley’s father, Steven Golik, and their daughter, Bridget Faith Opliger
• Jack’s Pack (Jake & Casey Siegrist) raised $7,000 in memory of their son, Jack Monroe Siegrist
• Thomas’ Tribe (Laura Ondrovich) raised $2,000 in memory of her son, Thomas Stephen Ondrovich
• Kate Fish raised $1,231 in memory of her twins, Ethan and Hayley Fish
• Amelia Ann Dietz (Josh & Alyssa Dietz) raised $1,150 in memory of their daughter Amelia Ann Dietz
• Carolyn Kandpal raised $1,100 in memory of her son, Nate Sumit Kandpal
• David’s Lasting Light (Jon & Kelcey Crone) raised $1,000 in memory of their son, David Bruce Crone
• Shining William’s Light ( Leanne Hilligas) raised $750 in memory of her son William Myron Hilligas
• Adalee’s Team (Rebecka and Adam Keesling) raised $545 in memory of their children, Adalee Elizabeth and Shiloh Keesling
• Talia’s Team (Brad & Jennifer Weaver) raised $500 in memory of their daughter, Talia Weaver
• Shining Taylor’s Light (Maria Childs) raised $500 in  memory of her daughter Taylor Anne Childs
• Christy Grunebach-Kolko donated $500 in memory of her son, Christopher Aaron Kolko

---

Each of these teams’ donations played a vital role in the success of our Shine Their Light 2025 Fundraiser! We are now equipped to serve bereaved families with cradles, support, and resources in the weeks and months ahead.

If you haven’t had the chance to listen to the Cradled in Hope Podcast special Wave of Light bonus episode with the Reading of the Names, click on the link to do so now!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Shine Their Light fundraiser this year for shining your baby in Heaven’s lights!

We look forward to hosting this special opportunity again next year for Wave of Light 2026. Mark your calendars for Thursday, 10/15/2026!

Follow Bridget’s Cradles:

Instagram | Facebook | Website