The 7/20 Memorial Foundation will mark the fifth anniversary of the Aurora theater shooting with a candlelight vigil and a first-responders procession intended to pay tribute to lives lost and forever changed, and to celebrate the community resilience that emerged.
Participants will begin gathering around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday near the 7/20 Reflection Memorial Garden at Aurora’s city hall, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway. At about 12:15 a.m., the formal program will begin. A moment of silence will be observed at 12:38 a.m., the moment at which a gunman began firing inside a crowded movie theater where people were watching “The Dark Knight Rises” back in 2012.
The event is open to all. Parking is available near the corner of Alameda and South Chambers Road.
Understanding that the healing process is different for everyone, the 7/20 Memorial board, made up of family members and survivors, has organized two other events the group said it hopes will help people find comfort.
People are invited to celebrate the heroes of that night and those who have emerged since that terrible night at an event from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at , in Denver. The event includes a performance by Lights, a Journey tribute band.
“We want everyone to come together to celebrate how we are each other’s heroes and to show that humankind is united in compassion,” “We want to inspire others who are struggling to reach out for connection and let them know they are not alone.”
There will be banners for people to sign for the communities of London and Manchester, England, in a gesture of solidarity over their experiences with terrorism. “So we can send them all of our love and support,” organizers said.
The city of Aurora also is hosting a Children’s Hospital Colorado blood drive from 8 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. Thursday at city hall. Sign up in advance here:
