Ted Prezelski, blogger at Rum, Romanism & Rebellion is reporting that injured Congresswoman “Gabby” Giffords will be attending the candlelight vigil at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday 1/8/12 at the UA Mall, with her husband Captain Mark Kelly, USN (Retired). Here’s the link of his article with more information about that event:

http://www.rumromanismrebellion.net/2012/01/04/january-8th-anniversary/

Ron Barber, her District Director will be the emcee at that vigil, with speeches by newly- elected Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and Dr. Peter Rhee, Chief, Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Emergency Surgery, The University of Arizona Medical Center. Barber himself was shot twice on January 8, 2011 and is still recovering from the wound to his leg. Captain Mark Kelly is also listed as one of the speakers at the vigil.

For more information on the events of that day “Remembering January 8th”, the one year anniversary of the mass shooting on 1/8/11, click here.

Remembering January 8, “Honoring the Spirit of Tucson”

Not many of us can forget that horrendous event of the January 8, 2011 mass shooting here in Tucson, or the outpouring of community caring & support after that tragedy. 6 innocent citizens (including a nine year old girl and a federal district judge) were gunned down in front of that Safeway Supermarket, and 13 (including a 3-term U.S. Congresswoman) were wounded.

We remember January 8th. How could we forget? I took photos of each of the 3 memorials that sprung up after the shooting, which are hyperlinked at the end of this blog.

http://www.rememberingjanuary8.org/

Listed below are community events scheduled for January 8:

January 8th
Together Tucson

7:00 am Ben’s Bells Distribution

Description: Hundreds of Ben’s Bells will be randomly distributed throughout Tucson in memory of those we lost on January 8th, 2011 and in gratitude for our beautifully supportive community.

Location:Ben’s Bells Main Gate, 816 E. University Blvd.
Contact: Phone:520-628-2829

8am-5:pm Tohono Chul Park Complimentary Admission Day

Description:In remembrance of January 8th, Tohono Chul Park will open its gates free of charge to offer the community a place of quite reflection.
Location:Tohono Chul Park – 7366 N. Paseo del Norte

10-5pm A Day of Kindness at the Children’s Museum Tucson

Description: Join Ben’s Bells at the Children’s Museum Tucson For a Day of Kindness. Ben’s Bells invites families to gather to sign the Kindness Contract, to paint Kindness Coins and to hang Kindness Wishes in the trees at the Museum. The Museum will serve as a gathering point for families to celebrate the kindness in our community.

Location: Children’s Museum Tucson, 260 S. 6th Ave.
Contact: 520-792-9985 (Children’s Museum), 520-628-2829 (Ben’s Bells)

10:11am Community-wide Ringing of Bells

10:15 am Remembering January 8, 2011: Hurting, Healing, Hoping

Description: January 8, 2012, marks the first anniversary of the Tucson tragedy where six people died and thirteen were injured. Join the Rev. Dr. John Kitagawa, at 10:15 a.m., remembering and reflecting on our memories of that day and the year that has followed. In this session, we remember those lost and injured and share reflections of the time since the tragedy. All are welcome to join in this community conversation in the Murphey Gallery at St. Philip’s and at the 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. worship services which will also honor the tragedy of January 8, 2011.

Location:St. Philip’s In The Hills Episcopal Church, 4440 N. Campbell Ave. at River Road, Tucson, AZ 85718

10:45- noon Journey from Mental Illness to Mental Health

St. Francis in the Foothills is offering a class that is open to the public discussing the journey from mental Illness to mental health. Members of the National Alliance on Mental Illness will be presenting information to enlarge community mental health awareness and promote civil engagement.

Location: St. Francis in the Foothills, 4625 E. River Rd (River west of Swan), Tucson, Arizona

1:00pm “We Remember, We Celebrate, We Believe” Interfaith Service

Description: All faith communities in Tucson are invited to join in commemoration of both the tragedy and the triumph of Jan. 8, 2011. The service will consist of prayer, music, reflections, dance and the participation of those attending. The service will include Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Baha’i and Sikh traditions of prayer.

Location: St. Augustine Cathedral, 192 S. Stone Avenue, Tucson, Arizona

3:00pm Reflections: Honoring the lives of January 8 shooting victims

Description: A series of talks reflecting on the lives of Congresswoman Giffords and those who were killed on January 8.

Speakers include:
Senator Mark Udall (for Congresswoman Giffords)
Federal Judge Raner Collins (for Judge John Roll)
Pat Maisch (for the survivors and citizen heroes)
Dr. Lattie Coor (for Gabe Zimmerman)
Dr.Andrew Ross (for Phyllis Schneck)
Serenity Hammerich & Jamie Stone (for Christina-Taylor Green)
Ron Barber (for Dorwin Stoddard)
Brandon Nelson (for Dorothy Morris)

Location: Centennial Hall – University of Arizona Campus, 1020 E. University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ. Tickets are free and can be picked up at the UA Centennial Hall’s box office, 2020 E. University Blvd.; The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, 2250 E. Broadway; and Pima Council on Aging, 8467 E. Broadway.

6:30pm Candlelight Vigil
University of Arizona Mall

Community members are encouraged to attend and show their support for the families of victims and the survivors. Those attending are asked not to bring candles. Glowsticks will be provided at the vigil to all those in attendance.

The Tucson Symphony Orchestra will perform and confirmed speakers include:

Eugene G. Sander, President, University of Arizona

Ken Bennett, Arizona Secretary of State

Honorable Jonathan Rothschild, Mayor, City of Tucson

Dr. Peter Rhee, Chief, Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Emergency Surgery, The University of Arizona Medical Center

Mark Kelly, Captain, USN (Retired) Spouse, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords

The emcee for the evening will be Ron Barber, survivor and founder of the Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding.

1/4/11 UPDATE: Injured Congresswoman Giffords will also be attending this vigil (click here).

6:30 pm Shining the Light of Hope and Peace

Description: The entire Tucson community is invited to attend a special evening service of songs, prayer and healing.

Location: Northminster Presbyterian Church, 2450 East Fort Lowell Road, Tucson, Arizona
Contact: 520-327-7121, ext. 229

For more information: Daniel J. Benavidez at

(520) 331-4989, or info@rememberingjanuary8.org.

And for more events commemorating 1/8/11, read my blog on “BEYOND” Tucson (click here) for info and updated website events on what’s happening the day before (January 7) all over Southern Arizona.

Photo gallery of UMC memorial (click here).

Photo gallery of Congresswoman Giffords’ office memorial (click here).

Photo gallery of the Safeway memorial (click here).

And recently I posted a blog about an upcoming PBS documentary about the shooting victims & aftermath entitled “Together We Heal” to show on January 5 & 8, 2012 (click here).

On Wednesday at a press conference for BEYOND, I met Ross Zimmerman, father of the late Gabe Zimmerman, and Suzi Hileman who took the late Christina-Taylor Green to that “Congress on your Corner” (and who was also shot three times.) I felt their pain as victims of that shooting. Let us participate in “honoring the spirit of Tucson” on January 8, 2012.

Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse provides domestic abuse crisis intervention and housing, prevention and education, and support and advocacy services to women and children. Emerge! is the largest domestic abuse shelter and provider of domestic abuse prevention and abuse programs in Southern Arizona.
24-Hour Bilingual Crisis Line and Shelter:
(520) 795-4266
(888) 428-0101 Toll-free

Pima County Board of Supervisors just voted yesterday to allocate $100,000 from their Contingency fund to keep Emerge! operating. Since October is DV Awareness month and this is the only emergency shelter left in Tucson for victims of DV (mostly women & children), please help if you can as well.

Website: http://www.emergecenter.org/

As the former Interim Director of the DV Commission (before it went bankrupt due to unpaid federal payroll taxes by the previous Executive Director) and a former practicing attorney for an Americorps DV Victims Project, I would like to emphasize the importance of education & prevention & intervention in DV situations. I still remember a case I had back in Hawaii where I and another woman attorney were representing a young wife, who had been brutally hit on the head by her husband with a metal bucket. Right in front of us, as we were talking with her, their 2 year old son picked up a toy bucket and hit it on the head of another child. It was disturbing to see this abusive, copying behavior learned at a very young age.

List of activities for DV Awareness month from Emerge’s website:

http://www.emergecenter.org/about-us/domestic-violence-awareness-month/

October 3-6: Clothesline Project at University of Arizona Mall. Anyone (not limited to UA students) can participate in this activity by designing a t-shirt depicting the impact domestic abuse has had on them, their family, and/or their community.

October 8: Binational Health Fair presented by the Mexican Consulate (9am-2pm- El Pueblo Community Center, Room 1A)

October 10-12: Purple Flag Display (UA Mall, ongoing). Oasis Health Services at the University of Arizona will display 1 flag for each domestic abuse-related death in the last year. This is a time of memorial and observance of those who have lost their lives to domestic abuse.

October 12th: Candlelight Vigil at San Xavier District (4pm-7pm- San Xavier District Conference Room). This is an informational fair to be followed by a candlelight vigil.

October 13th: 10th Annual Community Celebration and Crime Prevention Fair, presented by the 29th Street Coalition (5:30pm-7:30pm- Freedom Park, 5000 E. 29th Street). This annual event brings together nonprofit, government, business and community organizations to provide fun and activities! Fun for all ages – email annual29thcelebration@yahoo.com for more information.

October 14th: Tucson Meet Yourself (11am-5pm, Outside Pima County Administration Building). Emerge! and the Pima County Attorney’s Office will be providing information to Tucson Meet Yourself attendees and will have fun activities for children. Stop by our tables!

October 15th: Delta Chi Lambda Basketball Tournament (9am-3pm, Bear Down Gymnasium). Delta Chi Lambda is sponsoring a basketball tournament, and all proceeds will benefit Emerge!.

October 15th: Tucson Meet Yourself (10am-5pm, Outside Pima County Administration Building). Emerge! and the Pima County Attorney’s Office will be providing information to Tucson Meet Yourself attendees and will have fun activities for children. Stop by our tables!

October 15th: heART Show (11am-4pm, Offices of Dr. Carol McGonigle- 1802 E. Prince Road). A local art show/sale to benefit Emerge!, Featuring art from past Emerge! participants, children in Emerge! programs, and local artists who are donating their time/artwork.

October 15th: Tucson Pride (10am-8pm, Kino Sports Complex). Emerge! and the Pima County Attorney’s Office will be present to provide fun games for children and tons of information for adults.

October 16th: Tucson Meet Yourself (11am-4pm, Outside Pima County Administration Building). Emerge! and the Pima County Attorney’s Office will be providing information to Tucson Meet Yourself attendees and will have fun activities for children. Stop by our tables!

October 17th-19th: Clothesline Project at University of Arizona Mall. Anyone (not limited to UA students) can participate in this activity by designing a t-shirt depicting the impact domestic abuse has had on them, their family, and/or their community.

October 22nd: Show @ Eclipse Bar (9pm-11:30pm- 1601 North Oracle Rd). A local performance artist and volunteer artists will participate in a show to benefit Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse. Must be 21+ to enter.

October 29th: Marana Founder’s Day Festival (9am-4pm, Ora Mar Harn Park)- Emerge! and the Pima County Attorney’s Office will be present with information for adults, fun and games for children. Family friendly event- great for all ages!

October 30th: Marana Founder’s Day Festival (10am-4pm, Ora Mar Harn Park)- Emerge! and the Pima County Attorney’s Office will be present with information for adults, fun and games for children. Family friendly event- great for all ages!