Sibling Strong Retreats' Fundraiser

In partnership with Trackside Tavern, Sibling Strong Retreats is excited to announce a fundraiser on July 22, 2025.

This 7/22/25 fundraiser is raising funds for adults who have lost a brother or sister to attend the Sibling Strong Retreats August 7-10 retreat in New Hampshire.

Our fundraiser will have a pool tournament, a ticket raffle (that's chock-full of exciting Decatur-area prizes), drink specials, and an honor wall (bring a picture (or pictures) of you and the sibling(s) you've lost).

The Mission

Sibling Strong Retreats is a healing space created by grieving siblings for grieving siblings. We believe adult brothers and sisters grieving the loss of a sibling deserve the same care, connection, and community offered to other types of grief—yet this kind of support is rarely found.

Our mission is to bring grieving siblings together for weekends of compassion, reflection, and peer-supported healing. These retreats provide space to grieve in ways that feel natural, sacred, and strong.

Why This Matters

Having experienced the death of two brothers, Michael (2012) and Christopher (2005), Ben Harris know firsthand how few resources exist for surviving siblings. So much of grief support focuses on spouses, children, or parents — and while their pain is valid, siblings often get overlooked. But losing a sibling can shake your identity, your past, your future, and your sense of family.

Ben and Christopher

So, Kim Burditt Bartlett, MSW (another bereaved sibling who honors her brother Jon) and Ben Harris created Sibling Strong Retreats to create the space that we wanted and needed while walking their own grief journeys.

Kim and Jon

Grieving siblings need:

• A place to talk about the bond only siblings know.

• Support from people who understand without needing to explain.

• Time to rest, release, and rebuild with others walking the same path.

Ben and Michael

What Your Funds Will Support

Your donation will directly fund the launch of our first Sibling Strong Retreat in August 2025. This first retreat will serve Surviving Siblings, and raised funds will help cover:

• Venue rental & lodging

• Meals & supplies for the weekend

• Facilitation & peer support

• Partial scholarships for those with financial need

• Grief-informed tools & activities like journaling, ritual, movement, and quiet reflection

This retreat will be the first of many. With your support, we’ll create a model that can be shared with siblings across the country.

How You Can Help

1. Donate — Any amount helps, from $10 to $1,000. Truly.

2. Share this campaign with your network, especially to families or individuals who know the pain of sibling loss.

3. Hold this vision with us—a world where grieving siblings are seen, supported, and strong.

With Gratitude

Every name, every dollar, every story shared brings us closer to building this space. If you’ve lost a sibling or love someone who has, you are not alone.

From a couple of surviving siblings to you -- thank you!

— Ben Harris & Kim Hoffman Burditt, MSW

Co-Founders,

Sibling Strong Retreats