OMAHA, Neb. -- Dozens of families who gathered for a concert in Elmwood Park Thursday night had something in common -- they all have lost a child.

The concert was part of the Celebrate the Children tour, which gives families an opportunity to come together, grieve and remember.

To people passing by, the event is just a concert. But for those attending, it was a meeting of a club no one wanted to join.

“Last Christmas, we lost our 2-year-old daughter,” said John Spinks. “She got Respiratory Syncytial Virus. About a week before Christmas, (she) got very ill.”

Spinks was one of many parents who came together to remember and share stories.

Barbara Falk-Schwede told the group about her daughter Kelly, who died at the age of 25. Kelly may have been an adult, but Falk-Schwede said she was still her mother’s child.

“It never goes away,” she said. “Time changes, the intensity of the pain you feel (changes). Eventually, you can focus more on their life than their death.”

The event also included a chance to celebrate the lost lives with a butterfly release, something some parents appreciated.

“For us, it’s symbolic of how our family has changed. Tess is no longer here, but now she’s with us in another way.”