Friends of the Angel Maple Grove MN

WE REMEMBER AND HONOR LOVED ONES GONE TOO SOON 

We Create Memorial Events for Grieving Families

Big news from the Friends of the Angel, Maple Grove! 

We proud to say we have achieved our goal of raising $75,000 for the renovation project at the Angel of Hope! Our work is not done! We have met our goal for the renovation but all donations will go toward our next projects including funding our free events including brick dedications & community outreach to bereaved families. 

WHO WE ARE:

We are a group of bereaved parents who provide opportunities for gatherings and events at the Angel of Hope in Maple Grove, MN for grieving families.

Please go to our website for more information or find us on Facebook, Friends of the Angel, Maple Grove, MN.

Friends of the Angel is a volunteer group honoring the Angel of Hope Statue located at the Maple Grove Arboretum in Maple Grove, MN.

OUR MISSION:

• - To help others honor, remember and keep the memory of their loved ones alive
• - To offer hope, encouragement, and fellowship through our common connection of loss by hosting events at the Angel of Hope statue

HISTORY:

The Maple Grove Christmas Box Angel of Hope statue is located in the Maple Grove Arboretum at 9400 Fernbrook Lane just north of County Road 30.  A grieving grandmother, Rosemarie Rosengren, donated the angel in memory of her grandson, Andrew.  Rosemarie wanted to leave a memorial where other mourning parents and families could find a place of solace.  This angel was dedicated on May 6, 2001.  

The Christmas Box Angel of Hope is based on the best-selling book, The Christmas Box, written by Richard Paul Evans. It is a story of a widow who mourns the loss of a child at the base of an angel monument and the young struggling family who moves in with her. Together they discover the precious gifts of life. Evans originally wrote this book as a gift for his family with no intentions of publishing it. As more and more family members read it and passed it on to others the demand grew, and today it has been read by millions of people throughout the world.

In response to reports that grieving parents were seeking out the angel as a place to grieve and heal Richard Paul Evans commissioned an angel monument. A father and son from Salt Lake City, Utah, named Ortho and Jared Fairbanks, created the sculpture. The first Angel of Hope was dedicated December 6, 1994, corresponding with the date of the child’s death in The Christmas Box, in Salt Lake City. There are currently over 120 Christmas Box Angels in the United States. This memorial stands as a symbol of hope and healing for all parents and families who have experienced the death of a child of any age.  

Would you like to volunteer with our group? Please click here to learn more.

EVENTS:

Annual Walk to Remember
Last held May 6, 2023

Check out our website for more information. If you have an interest in a Walk to Remember in the future, please email us at President@friendsoftheangel.org. 

WALK TO REMEMBER 2019

Brick Dedications- Every Fall & Spring
Next Dedication in June 2024 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

To learn more about placing a brick at the Angel of Hope please click here.

Candlelight Service 
Held every December 6th at 7:00 pm
Each year a candlelight memorial is held at the Angel of Hope statue. The public is invited to attend this short, simple secular ceremony. Candles will be provided. Attendees are invited to bring a white flower to leave at the base of the statue in memory of loved ones