LEWISTON — An event marking one year since the mass shooting in Lewiston will be held Friday at The Colisee, a commemoration organized by the One Lewiston Resilience Fund Committee, in partnership with the city of Lewiston, the Maine Resiliency Center and the Lewiston Auburn Metro Chamber of Commerce.
The event has been designed, with input from survivors and victims’ families, to honor and remember the 18 people who were killed by gunfire at Just-in-Time Recreation and Schemengees Bar & Grille, along with honoring 13 survivors who were shot at those locations, and dozens of others who were injured and all who have been impacted by this tragedy. The event is also designed to honor first responders, medical personnel and others who responded and have continued to support community healing efforts.
The program, which is free and open to the public, begins at 6 p.m. and is scheduled to go until 7:30 p.m.; doors will open at 4:30 to accommodate what is expected to be a large crowd.
The entire event will be livestreamed with American Sign Language interpretation and closed captions on sunjournal.com.
The program will include music, beginning with a performance of “Amazing Grace” by the Maine State Police Pipe and Drum Unit, followed by the singing of the national anthem by the Lewiston High School choir. NESN sportscaster and anchor Tom Caron, a Lewiston native, will serve as master of ceremonies.
The names of all of the victims who died will be read aloud, followed by speakers who will be introduced. They will be followed by extended moments of silence for those killed at the bowling alley and the bar, along with a slideshow of vigil and other memorial images from the days and weeks immediately following the shooting.
Speakers will share their reflections on resilience and gratitude, and the Rev. Sarah Gillespie will offer a blessing and reflection as the event closes.
Attendees are invited to bring small mementos and keepsakes to leave at the end of the event, all of which will be catalogued and preserved as part of the growing Maine MILL collection in connection with the shooting.
While parking for events at The Colisee is usually quite generous, parking will be limited Friday as much of the space will be reserved in advance. There is also a home football game at Lewiston High School on Friday, which may also impact available parking, so visitors are encouraged to use the Southern Gateway or Oak Street parking garages and take complimentary shuttle services to and from the event. Shuttles will begin from those two parking garages at 4 p.m. and continue after the event ends to return visitors to their vehicles. The last returning shuttle run is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
In addition to scheduled programming, there will be resources available for visitors.
Therapists will be on hand, and there will be a quiet reflection space set up where visitors can sit without interruption.
There will also be a children’s activity area hosted by the Lewiston Recreation Department, where children can also view the program; parents will need to remain with their children while they are in this area.
Much of the space will remain closed to media.
In addition to American Sign Language interpretation throughout the program, braille and large-print programs will be available upon request. Ushers trained in ASL will be wearing easily identifiable “I-SIGN” badges, and ushers will also be available to help seat visitors.
Anyone using a wheelchair should enter through the wheelchair accessible entrance in the lower parking lot, at The Colisee box office entrance.
The Colisee staff and organizers have arranged tight security for the event, with police presence at the venue during the evening. Visitors’ bags will be checked and everyone will be wanded through security screening.
Visitors are asked to cooperate with instructions from security staff and law enforcement; a strict no-weapons policy will be enforced.
Visitors should expect to see a large number of media covering this event, and all have been instructed by event organizers to be wearing media credentials so they are easily recognized. Reporters and photographers will be confined to a designated section and have been informed of restrictions on when and where they may conduct live interviews.
As with other events at The Colisee, no outside food or beverages, or empty beverage containers, will be allowed, and for this event specifically no laser pointers or weapons will be allowed, nor chains and spiked jewelry. Animals, excluding service animals, will not be allowed. And, no signs with sticks or backpacks will be allowed. Visitors are not permitted to bring their own folding chairs.
For more information, go to: facebook.com/events/1732819170791067/
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