Press release:
A “Candlelight Gathering” on Thursday, Dec. 20, will honor the victims of last week’s elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., while helping the local community come to terms with the tragedy.
The event will begin at 7:15 p.m. in Trigon Park.
Le Roy school officials and representatives, and local clergy have been invited to speak during Thursday’s gathering, which is aimed at supporting peace, reaffirming that safety is of the utmost importance and honoring the victims of the shooting.
Among the organizers is Christine Gephart, a social worker with the Honeoye Falls-Lima School District who has a private practice in Le Roy.
Twenty-six people — 20 of them first-graders — were killed on Dec. 14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., by a gunman who then committed suicide. The tragedy received widespread media attention.
Gephart said children are affected more than we might assume by minor and major losses.
“Tragic events, such as what happened in Sandy Hook, can leave a profound impact on young children,” Gephart said. “As a community it is important to come together to support each other, allow our children and ourselves to grieve, to support our district’s initiative to promote peace and to help our children feel reassured of their safety and well-being.”
The event is supported by Girl Scout Troop 42027 — which Gephart leads — and the Le Roy Parent Teacher Service Organization.
For more information, contact organizer Holly Eschberger, Le Roy PTSO secretary at hollyesch@yahoo.com; or visit the Facebook event page at www.facebook.com/events/574633139228867/
