Surrey organization to hold memorial mass for Lapulapu tragedy
Published 2:00 pm Wednesday, April 1, 2026
The Surrey Philippine Independence Day Society (SPIDS) is hosting a memorial mass in Surrey to remember the Lapu Lapu Day tragedy in April 2025.
Eleven people were killed – seven women, two men, one non-binary person and a five-year-old girl – and at least two dozen more were injured, ranging in age from 22 months old to 60 years old, when a person drove an SUV through the crowd at the Vancouver festival on Saturday, April 26, 2025.
The memorial mass will be at St. Bernadette Parish (6543 132 St.) on Friday, April 24 at 6 p.m. in remembrance of the first anniversary of the tragedy.
“There will be a thoughtful reception immediately after the mass, at the church hall. Please bring a dish to share,” noted the Facebook event description.
Surrey Philippine Independence Day Society (SPIDS) president Narima Dela Cruz told the Now-Leader that several members of the organization were directly affected by the tragedy and will be at the memorial mass.
The organization immediately stepped in to support those affected by the tragedy, including hosting a prayer vigil on April 27 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Surrey.
A month after the tragedy, SPIDS organized a fundraiser that raised $8,616.95 for some of the affected victims and their families from Surrey.
Several organizations, including SPIDS, asked Filipino BC, organizers of the Lapu Lapu Day festival, not to do an event this year. The event will be held on April 19 in the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver.
For more information or to volunteer for the reception, please contact Surrey Philippine Independence Day Society (SPIDS) at surreyfilcan@gmail.com.
About the Author: Anna Burns
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