AURORA | The Community College of Aurora will hold a pair of events Thursday, June 16, in an effort to provide services and solidarity to those affected by the recent mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla.
Ernie Duff, program director at the AuroraStrong Resilience Center, speaks with people during Community College of Aurora’s “Solidarity with Orlando” event on Thursday June 16, 2016 at CCA.
Photo by Gabriel Christus/Aurora Sentinel
Jodi Keen, left, and Becky Crask hold hands during Community College of Aurora’s “Solidarity with Orlando” event on Thursday June 16, 2016 at CCA.
Photo by Gabriel Christus/Aurora Sentinel
Chelsea Sobolik, Aurora theater shooting survivor and CCA graduate, speaks during their “Solidarity with Orlando” event on Thursday June 16, 2016 at Aurora Community College .
Photo by Gabriel Christus/Aurora Sentinel
Chelsea Sobolik, Aurora theater shooting survivor and CCA graduate, speaks during their “Solidarity with Orlando” event on Thursday June 16, 2016 at Aurora Community College .
Photo by Gabriel Christus/Aurora Sentinel
Wafaa Mohammad signs a banner during Community College of Aurora’s “Solidarity with Orlando” event on Thursday June 16, 2016 at CCA.
Photo by Gabriel Christus/Aurora Sentinel
Chelsea Sobolik, Aurora theater shooting survivor and CCA graduate, Josh Morgan during their “Solidarity with Orlando” event on Thursday June 16, 2016 at Community College of Aurora.
Photo by Gabriel Christus/Aurora Sentinel
Chelsea Sobolik, Aurora theater shooting survivor and CCA graduate, speaks during their “Solidarity with Orlando” event on Thursday June 16, 2016 at Community College of Aurora.
Photo by Gabriel Christus/Aurora Sentinel
Deemed “Solidarity with Orlando,” the events, which will be free and open to the public, will take place at both CCA’s CentreTech and Lowry campuses, according to Mary Meeks, spokeswoman for CCA.
“We want to reach out to our faculty, staff and the public who may need a safe and affirming place to express their thoughts and feelings,” Meeks said.
The first event will be held at CCA’s CentreTech campus, 16000 E. CentreTech Pkwy., beginning at 3:30 p.m. Thursday. A candlelight peace vigil will follow at 4:15 p.m.
An identical gathering will be held at CCA’s Lowry campus at 710 Alton Way in Denver from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The peace vigil is slated to begin there at 6:15 p.m.
There will be an expressive art station and on-hand grief counselors at both events, according to Meeks.
State Rep. Rhonda Fields (D-Aurora) and Chelsea Sobolik, a CCA alumnus who survived the Aurora theater shooting in 2012, are both expected to make remarks at the vigils.
