Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 12-15-17

Local
Candlelight Vigil Focuses On East Tampa Community
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Saturday, December
16th, members of the com- munity will gather at the Seminole Heights Baptist Church, 801 E. Hillsborough
Avenue. The purpose of the gathering is the 10th Annual Candlelight Vigil.
The Candlelight Vigil will begin at 4 p.m. and conclude at 6 p.m. It is a joint venture between the residents of East Tampa and those of Seminole Heights. It is focusing on all violent deaths and not just those that took place in 2017. Freddy Barton, Executive Director of Safe & Sound Hillsborough said, “We must always remember that there is still work to be done, still time to do the right thing, still time to speak up, still time to prevent this from happening to yet another child.
“We must remember to stop and pay respect to those who have been lost to need- less and senseless violence in our community. We need to remember that violence af- fects all of us, and it will take all of us to stop it.”
A Memorial Garden will be set up, displaying and cel- ebrating the lives of the lost instead of focusing on their deaths or cases. There will also be a separate display of the unsolved cases. The or- ganizers are hoping that someone in attendance may provide information to help solve those cases.
Ms. Vivian Heyward,
founder of the Candlelight Vigil said individuals can cre- ate memorial posters or write positive messages to promote healing and the prevention of violence.
The event will also fea- ture a call to action to bring the community together. A balloon release in memory of those who have been lost to violence will follow the call to action.
PAGE 8-A FLORIDA SENTINEL-BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2017