The El Paso community will come together next month to honor the victims of the Aug. 3, 2019, mass shooting during the annual Day of Remembrance commemorating the seventh anniversary of the tragedy.
The United Way of El Paso County’s Center for Resiliency, in partnership with El Paso County, will host the event on Sunday, Aug. 2, at the Ascarate Healing Garden.
Organizers said the memorial ceremony and reading of the names is intended to honor the 23 lives lost, support continued healing and reaffirm the unity that has defined the Borderland in the years since the attack.
The day will begin with a free community sound bath led by Instruments of Healing at 10:30 a.m. at the Ascarate Park Pavilion.
No registration is required.
The evening memorial ceremony begins at 6:45 p.m. with attendees arriving to instrumental music performed by El Paso Pro Musica.
El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego will welcome attendees and lead a moment of silence before families of the victims participate in a luminaria lighting ceremony led by the United Way of El Paso County.
The program will also include an invocation from Bishop Mark Seitz and a prayer by Pastor Michael Grady.
At 8:10 p.m., members of the El Paso County Commissioners Court will read the names of the 23 victims while ceremonial beams are illuminated in their honor. Judge Samaniego will deliver the closing remarks.
Organizers say the annual observance serves as an opportunity for the community to remember those who were killed, stand with survivors and families, and continue the healing process while celebrating the resilience and unity of El Paso.
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