“Meet Mark's Friends” on June 29 is a program for children to learn about bugs, which Mark Fike loved. Mark was killed in an accident.

In the heart-wrenching days after Mark Fike, 11, was killed in January at his bus stop in an accident, his family decided to have donations sent to the Butler-Freeport Community Trail instead of accepting flowers at the funeral home.

On June 29, an event will be held at the trail in Mark's honor to celebrate his love for insects, and area children are encouraged to attend.

“Meet Mark's Friends” will be from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Bonniebrook Trailhead. Parking is next door at the Summit Township Municipal Building.

Chris Ziegler, president of the trail council, said 120 kids will enjoy three bug exploration hikes, where “bugsperts” from the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania will help children find and identify bugs along the trail and share facts about them.

Ziegler said children who participate in the free event will receive a drawstring backpack with a bug identification book, a bug log book, a bug box with magnifying glass and other bug-related items.

They also will view the new insect identification kiosk donated by TrueCommerce of Cranberry Township in Mark's memory as well as a bench donated by the family that reads “In memory of Mark Finch, the future biologist the world will never know.”

She said the family wanted a memorial bench placed near the kiosk at the Bonniebrook Trailhead to memorialize their son and brother in perpetuity.

“(Trail-users who see it) might not know his story, but they'll know his name,” Ziegler said.

She said the event, in which 40 children will be taken on the trail for the bug explorations at 9, 10 and 11 a.m., is already half full.

Most of the children are from the family's church and Mark's Boy Scout troop.

Many of his classmates from Summit Elementary School, where Mark attended fourth grade, are also expected to register for the event.

Chris Parker is the director of managed services at TrueCommerce, where Mark's dad, Ethan, works.

Parker is Ethan Fike's supervisor. “They are all aboard,” Parker said of the Fike family's involvement in “Meet Mark's Friends.”

“They just want to pass forward Mark's love for bugs,” Parker said.

He said the Fike family, which includes Mark's brothers, Ryan and Emmett, and sister, Lyssa, are doing as well as can be expected six months after their loved one's death.

“They are incredibly appreciative of the community support they have received,” Parker said.

A fellow childhood insect enthusiast himself, Parker said he believes that exposing other children to the fascinating world of bugs is the perfect way to honor Mark.

“I think it's awesome,” Parker said. “Hearing stories from his funeral, he really loved bugs.”

Renee Alchier of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania said experienced Audubon educators will help children who participate in the event find bugs along the trail and discuss their findings.

She said while Audubon educators frequently lead all types of bird and nature walks, this is the first time they will do one in memory of a child.

“I think it's a great way for (Mark's) friends to get together and remember him because I'm sure it was a horrible loss for them,” Alchier said of “Meet Mark's Friends.”

She said her branch of the Audubon Society is providing the bug indexes, log books and bug boxes for the event at no cost.

“We are just very excited to be a part of it,” Alchier said.

Parents can register their children for “Meet Mark's Friends” by visiting https://bit.ly/2QLFMtH.