Wout Brink came from the Netherlands to show his brilliant idea to folks at the ICCFA convention. His TOLAD aluminum walking stick doubles as an urn that discreetly scatters ashes over the course of a one-mile memorial hike. In the video below, he demonstrates how it works.
TOLAD stands for Totem Of Life And Death. Every time the staff hits the ground, it releases a circle of cremated remains. You could take the cremated remains of a loved one over a favorite hiking trail and inconspicuously release their remains to rest in peace (but make sure you know the local rules first). The staff releases the remains over approximately 600 touches.
After scattering the ashes, the aluminum staff can serve as a monument that can be placed inside the home or in the garden, or used for other hikes. A funeral home can rent or loan out the staff to families who would like to use it for a memorial hike/scattering, but don’t want to own it. TOLAD also makes a cardboard and plastic staff for people who want to scatter the ashes during a hike but don’t want to keep it as an urn.
Plus, they offer a free app to track the route of a hike, which also doubles as a memorial page. The TOLAD app is available from the App store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).
The route can also be looked up online, through a personal Remembrance Page. The TOLAD Remembrance Page is a completely private page that can be shared with others if desired. Page visitors can leave messages, pictures, videos, music, and poetry to share memories of the deceased. This Remembrance Page is a wonderful way for people to revisit the route and relive the last walk whenever they want. This service is provided free of charge.
The TOLAD was invented by Cycle of Rituals BV, a company specializing in innovative products for the funeral service business. Cycle of Rituals holds an international patent on the TOLAD. Learn more at www.TOLAD.net.
For more ideas about creative cremation ceremonies, check out HAIL AND FAREWELL: Cremation Ceremonies, Templates and Tips.