A vigil for the victims of the Lapu Lapu Day festival tragedy where 11 people died and more than two dozen were injured will be held in Richmond this Sunday (May 4).
Community members are being invited to the Cultural Centre Plaza (7700 Minoru Gate) from 2 to 4 p.m. for a candlelight vigil.
The event is being organized by the Philippine Cultural Arts Society (PhilCAS), a Richmond-based group.
“PhilCAS of BC would like to invite those seeking to connect and come together to share space during this time of unthinkable loss and grief,” the organization posted.
Rachel Ambrosio, a dancer with PhilCAS, said the event is being organized not just for the Filipino community, but for all Richmond residents affected by the tragedy.
Attendees are asked to bring flowers, (flameless) candles or other items for a memorial. This memorial will be outside at the plaza for a few days so others can visit it, and then it will be brought indoors to the cultural centre.
There will be brief speeches and songs of remembrance as well as dances and choir groups performing. Many local churches will be participating in the event.
Ambrosio said PhilCAS was at the Lapu Lapu Day festival performing at 2:30 p.m. and would have stayed if they hadn’t had a dinner to go to.
“It’s very close to us – we were all just there,” she told the Richmond News.
Filipinos are the third largest ethnic group in Richmond.
The Filipino community across the Lower Mainland is reeling from Saturday’s events when a lone driver allegedly drove an SUV through a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival that was taking place in and around John Oliver secondary in Vancouver.
Due to limited parking, attendees are asked to walk or take transit.
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