File Photo: People gathered under umbrellas in front of City Hall last year during a candlelight vigil for those lost in the Newtown shootings.
One year ago, the people of Milford joined with every town in Connecticut, across the Nation, and throughout the world to share the horror and to grieve after the tragedy which is now known starkly as “Sandy Hook,” Mayor Ben Blake said in a press release sent to area media.
“With broken hearts, we stood by our neighbors in Newtown, united in our tears, and mourned the unimaginable loss of our young teachers, our beloved educators, our children and their promise. “Community,” in all meanings of that word, helped us through one of the most difficult and emotional challenges of our lives.”
In remembrance and in honor of those lost and forever grieving, the mayor is calling on the citizens of Milford to perform random acts of kindness this week.
Superintendent Elizabeth Feser has reinforced this appeal in the city schools by reminding students, teachers, and parents that, “we draw strength and hope from the resolve of the Newtown families and the community to ‘pay it forward’ in memory of their loved ones.”
Plans have been made to honor Sandy Hook by supporting local families in need, celebrating acts of kindness, and selling ornaments to fundraise for the soon-to-be-constructed playground in memory of Sandy Hook student, James Mattioli.
The Mattioli playground will be one of 26 living memorials sponsored by the “Sandy Ground Project – Where Angels Play” and championed locally by the City and the Milford Professional Firefighters.
“As we mourn the tragedy this week, I urge everyone to celebrate the heroes, grieve lost futures, and stand with those who are without a loved one,” Blake said. “ Let us be comforted by one another; let us be grateful for all we have — for our families, our friends, and our good fortune. In memory of those who perished, let us focus on kindness, and be determined to love deeper, to laugh louder, and to never take our lives or the lives of our loved ones for granted.”