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Lake Zurich residents light candles for Newtown
Updated: January 28, 2013 2:44PM
LAKE ZURICH — Residents across Lake Zurich placed candles on their porches and in windows Friday evening in a community-wide vigil to honor and remember the victims of last week’s tragedy in Newtown, Conn.
“I have two kids of my own in elementary school,” said Lake Zurich resident Dawn Brazier, who participated in the vigil. “I can’t imagine what those parents are going through.”
Brazier’s neighbor, Shelly Carlson, said she heard about similar memorials that neighboring towns were organizing, and she wanted to contribute and show support as well. Carlson said she approached the Lake Zurich Board of Trustees to help.
“I’m a mom of three elementary school kids,” Carlson added. “We just wanted to do something.”
At the Village Board meeting Dec. 17, Village President Suzanne Branding announced the vigil, which took place between 7 and 9 p.m. on the one-week anniversary of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary.
“Trustee (Jonathan) Sprawka suggested we have a community candle-lighting in Lake Zurich for the purpose of remembering Newtown and the tragedy that they’ve gone through,” Branding said.
Branding also said she contacted an official in Newtown to inform the community that Lake Zurich residents will be lighting candles Friday in remembrance and support of their community.
“On behalf of the Village of Lake Zurich, Illinois, we would like to extend our deepest sympathy,” said Branding. “The tragedy you are experiencing is beyond belief. Please know we are standing with you in our thoughts and prayers.”
Carlson said she was struck by the similarities between Lake Zurich and Newtown.
“We have such close-knit communities around all our elementary schools,” she said. “Everything we’re seeing on the news, we’re realizing that there’s a lot of similarities.”
Brazier said she was shocked and saddened by the events in Connecticut on Dec. 14. She said she wanted to contribute in any way she could.
“I wanted to do what I could,” said Brazier, who also is a member of the Lake Zurich Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. “I wanted to let our community show that we care.”
