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Bentley's Army plans paper lantern night at park

Bentley Miller rests his head against his aunt's dog. Bentley's Army will host a paper lantern night Tuesday at Butler Memorial Park.
Bentley's birthday to be celebrated Tuesday

Bentley Miller will be remembered at the same park where the 4-year-old boy used to play.

Bentley's Army, a nonprofit organization created following Bentley's death in March, aims to honor his memory by revitalizing Butler Memorial Park. “Bentley celebrated every birthday there,” said Renee Manny, founder and president of Bentley's Army. “It was a very special place for him.”

Manny was Bentley's godmother and shares a birthday with him.

Bentley's Birthday Paper Lantern Release will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Butler Memorial Park, on what would have been his fifth birthday. It is open to the public.

Manny said event participants will eat birthday cake and sing “Happy Birthday.”

Paper lanterns will be sold for $2 each, and will be lit at dusk in honor of Bentley.

The money will go toward revitalizing the park, a goal for which Bentley's Army has already raised $13,000.

Bentley's Army hopes to replace playground equipment and install handicap accessible equipment for the park, as well as improve the park's landscaping.

Manny said the organization is working with the city and the county to achieve this by 2019.

She also said Bentley's Army plans to build a memorial garden for Bentley.

Manny noted that the organization has permission from the city to name an area of the park “Bentley's Place.”

“We just want to put it out there that Bentley's Army is here and (tell people) what we're about and what we want to do,” Manny said.

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