PITTSBORO — Following the shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas this weekend, which left more than 20 dead, Chatham County will host a vigil to honor the lives of those lost to gun violence.
Mayor Cindy Perry has called for a gathering to mourn the losses of the recent mass gun shootings and create a local diverse community group to work on solutions for this county and the country.
The vigil will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Alpha Center Parking Lot, 697 Hillsboro St. Organizers encourage participants to bring candles and shoes to honor the lives lost. There will be ceremonies to honor the lives lost and speeches from local leaders.
A sign language interpretation of the event will be provided by Deborah Leisey. The vigil will follow the schedule below:
7:00 Welcome — Commissioner Howard
7:05 Children speakers
7:10 Imagine
7:15 The reading of the names of towns and numbers dead
7:20 Calling All Angels — Sheila Fleming
[lighting of the candles]
7:28 Poem by Amanda Gorman — Commissioner Howard
7:30 Closing — Mayor Cindy Perry
More information about the "Chatham County Vigil for Recent Mass Shootings" can be found on Facebook.
Reporter Ben Rappaport can be reached at brappaport@chathamnr.com or on Twitter @b_rappaport.