There can be strength and comfort in remembering them — for how they lived, not just how they died.
Six years after the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, South Floridians continue to gather on Feb. 14 to do just that — searching for solace, meaning and connection, turning towards each other in the hopes of forging some goodness out of grief.
For Tony Montalto, whose daughter Gina was murdered that day, seeing the community come together year after year to grieve and remember is a source of strength.
“We’re thankful for the community to come out today and remember Gina, remember the other victims. Again, who they were before this tragedy took them away. They were teammates, they were on the colorguard together. They played in the school band. They were classmates. Students,” Montalto said. “Just integral parts of the community. And touched so many lives here. And were touched by so many lives here.”
At Eagles’ Haven Wellness Center in Coral Springs — which was founded in the wake of the tragedy — family members, loved ones, friends and community leaders gathered to light candles for the 17 people who were murdered six years ago.
The 17 are Alyssa Alhadeff, Scott Beigel, Martin Duque Anguiano, Nicholas Dworet, Aaron Feis, Jaime Guttenberg, Chris Hixon, Luke Hoyer, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Joaquin Oliver, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pollack, Helena Ramsay, Alex Schachter, Carmen Schentrup and Peter Wang.
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Sarah Franco is the executive director of JAFCO, the charity behind Eagles Haven, and led the ceremony on Wednesday. She says that as long as the community gathers and says the names of those who were killed, a part of them will continue to live on.
“Each of us will die two times in our lives. The last day we breathe and the last day someone says our name,” Franco said. “At Eagles Haven, we have committed to saying the names of the 17 victims as often as we humanly and possibly can — keeping them alive in our hearts forever.”
Franco urged the community to celebrate those who were killed — remembering the fullness of the lives they lived and the people they hoped to become.
“Joaquin Oliver was a music lover with a passion for all kinds of music. Carmen Schentrup's voice was so beautiful when she shared her love for singing. Their life stories are filled with beauty,” Franco said.
“Jaime Guttenberg had a great love and compassion for dogs big and small, while Helena Ramsey found peace in the garden, surrounded by her flowers. All beautiful ways to remember them and keep them in our hearts.”
After the candle lighting ceremony, family members came together to release 17 white doves. As soon as the doors were opened, the snowy birds burst from their cages and took to the sky, circling again and again as the crowd looked on in hushed amazement.
The birds flew together as one until they disappeared into the blue horizon.
Later, in the parking lot outside Eagles Haven, volunteers sat at stations dedicated to each of the victims, where family members and visitors could make art, plant seeds or share a meal in honor of each of the 17 — transforming their grief into connection and action.
For so many of those who were forever changed by the tragedy — and who have dedicated their lives to school safety — there is still so much more to do six years later.
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“We have to continue to fight for our kids, for everyone’s kids, so these tragedies stop,” said Ilan Alhadeff, whose daughter Alyssa was murdered that day.
“While we can unite on the fact that we’re dealing with this together, it still doesn’t take away with the fact that this is a club that we’d just all rather not be a part of.”
Acts of love and service continued across Broward County on Wednesday — including in the county's public schools — to mark six years since the tragedy.
A community commemoration ceremony will take place at Pine Trails Park in Parkland beginning at 5:30 pm.
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