Three Years Later: Memorials and Commemorations For Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Shooting Victims
PARKLAND (CBSMiami) – February 14, 2018: a shooter walked onto the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High campus in Parkland and senselessly murdered 17 students and staff, 17 others were injured.
Since then, laws have changed, investigations completed and foundations begun. From student activists marching on Washington to the parents of victims turning their grief into action, the tentacles from the Parkland shooting have stretched far and wide.
Now, three years later; families, friends and strangers still mourn the loss and find ways to cope with the tragedy.
There are several commemoration events taking place on Sunday.
Fort Lauderdale Memorial Honors Victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Tragedy
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- 10:00 a.m. (moment of silence at 10:17 a.m.)
- Esplanade Park, 400 SW 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale
Community members are invited to participate in a solemn ceremony to share messages of love, unity, and hope on a memorial wall. There is also an opportunity to release feelings of pain and loss by placing personal letters into a fire pit. Those who are not able to attend in person may submit their messages for the fire pit to MSDStrongFTL@fortlauderdale.gov. Social distancing and facial coverings will be required.
Eagles Haven to Honor MSD Victims
- 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Wellness activities)
- 10:30 a.m. Candle Lighting Ceremony
- 2:21 p.m. Moment of silence, release of 17 white doves
- Eagles Haven, 655 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs
Eagles' Haven is a community wellness center created solely and mindfully for the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School community. Activities offered include meditation, rock painting, bracelet making and a drum circle, among others.
A Day of Love In Remembrance In Margate
- 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Margate Sports Complex, 1695 Banks Rd., Margate (Field 1)
The City of Margate will host an MSD Vigil to honor the seventeen lives lost. They will release 17 lanterns at 6:17 p.m. following a short speaking engagement by guest speaker Hunter Pollack and city officials. Hunter Pollack is a school safety activist and political advisor whose younger sister, Meadow, was murdered in the Parkland shooting. Click here for more information.
City of Parkland Community Commemoration
- 5:30 p.m.
- Pine Trails Park, 10559 Trails End, Parkland
The City of Parkland will host a Community Commemoration to honor the 17 victims, and the larger Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) community. The event will include a brief ceremony, on-site therapy dogs, and 17 display boards where the community can write messages. Immediately following the ceremony, a commemorative video will be played on the amphitheatre stage and livestreamed on the City's social media platforms.
This year, in lieu of a service project, the City has partnered with Food For The Poor, a non-profit providing services to the poorest of the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean. Donations will only be accepted online at https://www.foodforthepoor.org/msdcommunity. Funds raised will honor the 17 lives lost by building 20 new homes for families living in desperate need in the community of Buenos Aires located in the municipality of Dulce Nombre, Copán, Honduras.
For additional information, please go to www.cityofparkland.org/MSD17
City of Pembroke Pines Prayer Vigil
- 6:00 p.m.
- Charles F. Dodge City Center Plaza, 601 City Center Way
The City of Pembroke Pines will hold a Prayer Vigil to commemorate the 3 year mark of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy. The community is invited to join the city in honoring the lives of the students and staff who lost their lives, and acknowledge the recovery and strength of the students, staff and families who survived. Social distancing and masks are required.
