WARRENDALE, Allegheny County — A cloud of 200 red balloons that disappeared into the low ceiling of gray clouds Friday morning marked the grand opening of a place where grieving children heal.

Highmark Caring Place on Warrendale-Bayne Road, a center for grieving children and adolescents and their families, hosted a grand opening kicked off by former Steelers running back Merrill Hoge.

"As you prepare to release your balloon," Hoge told the 200 students, "please pause and think of someone special in your life you have lost. Someone who has been significant in helping you be the person you are today."

Hoge, who is Highmark Caring Foundation board president, said his mother died when he was a teenager. He said having a place where families can turn to in the face of grief and tragedy, where children and teens can find new friends who share the same feelings, makes for a better community.

"I know how empty it is," Hoge said of losing a loved on at a delicate age. "I know how lonely and miserable it is."

Terese Vorsheck, Highmark Caring Place director, said the new facility offers peer support to grieving children and adults, provides referral services, adult telephone support and educational programs and resources to grieving families. Consultation services, educational presentations and resources also are available for schools and professionals who work with children.

She said the Highmark Caring Place draws children and families from a wide area. She said 50 children from preschool age to high school graduates and 40 adults already have visited the Warrendale center for help with their grief.

"Here they can meet others who have been through the same thing," said Vorsheck. "I think it gives them hope that it's not going to hurt quite so bad."

While grief services began in October in another facility, those services were moved two weeks ago to the new Warrendale building.

Grieving programs are offered once a week for 10 weeks, and 26 volunteers are necessary to operate a single 10-week session. Vorsheck said volunteers need not have any counseling or grief background to work at the Highmark Caring Place.

She said Caring Place volunteers receive 26 hours of training before they begin to serve as group facilitators with staff supervision.

Among the students who attended the grand opening were some from Seneca Valley Intermediate High School and Evans City Elementary School.

Fourth grader Nate Koniezzka said the Highmark Caring Place is a great resource for grieving families who have nowhere to turn. He marveled at the number of people who are willing to volunteer at the center.

"These volunteers give their time to make other people feel better, so it makes a better community," said Nate. "I'm going to say if you have anybody die, you should come here. I can see the attitude of these volunteers and I just think they're wonderful."

Nate's fellow fourth grader, Mackenzie Holscher, said a friend of hers came to the caring place after the friend's mother died.

"I could see a difference in her," said Mackenzie.

Fifth grader Katie Kolor said the visit to the Caring Place will result in her spreading the word that the free grief services exist in the area.

"I will tell people this is a good place if you've lost someone and you're going through stress," said Katy. "It makes you think about other people and what they're going through."

Amanda Dash, a Seneca Valley Intermediate High School freshman and student council vice president, said she too will spread the word about the Highmark Caring Place.

"I know a lot of people who have gone through losses and we think this would be a great opportunity for them to meet people who have gone through the same thing," Amanda said.

Meghan Wilson, a Seneca Valley sophomore and a senator in the school's student council, said she and Amanda will take what they've learned back to their student council to raise awareness among students about the Caring Place. She said she also will report what she learned to the schools' guidance counselors, who could steer a grieving student to the Caring Place.

"We'll see what we can do to help some people," Meghan said.

Amanda said, "It's such a great thing to have right here in our community."

Here are facts about children and grieving and about Highmark Caring Place:• One child in 20 will have a parent die before he or she graduates from high school.• One out of every 750 youth of high school age dies each year.• Many children are more at risk for emotional and behavioral difficulties two years after the death of a parent than they are after one year.• Highmark Caring Place locations are in Pittsburgh, Erie, Lemoyne, Pa., and Warrendale. The program has served more than 15,000 family members and organizations since 1997.• More than 21,000 volunteer hours have been completed by 473 Caring Place staff and volunteers.