On Remembrance Day 2023, a ceremonial candle will be lit in front of the April 16 Monument. (Photo by Clark DeHart of Virginia Tech)
BLACKSBURG, Va. (WFXR) — In memory of the students and faculty who lost their lives in the April 16, 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech, the school is hosting a 2024 Day of Remembrance. Masu.
On Saturday, April 13, Hokies will gather on campus to remember the 27 students and five faculty members killed in the shooting. Starting at 9 a.m., hundreds of walkers and runners will take part in the 5.2-mile memorial run.
Rain or shine, participants will mark off in front of Patton Hall and pass landmarks such as The Grove, Lane Stadium and the Virginia Tech pylons. The run will conclude with a commemorative ceremony on April 16th. For participants unable to attend the event in person, virtual participants are encouraged to share their photos using #VT32Run on social media platforms.
On April 16, Virginia Tech will hold a candle-lighting ceremony at 12:01 a.m. during the April 16th Memorial Ceremony.
Representatives from student organizations will light candles and the names of all 32 Hokies who lost their lives on April 16 will be read aloud. Members of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets will watch him for 24 hours after the candle is lit.
The wreath-laying ceremony and moment of silence will begin at 9:43 a.m., and students from the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad will carry wreaths to the memorial, the school said. President Tim and Laura Sands and Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Cyril Clark will then lay wreaths at the memorial.
The ceremonial candles will be extinguished and returned to Burrus Hall at 11:59 p.m.
April 16th marks 17 years since the mass shooting that shook the community. It was also one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
For more information about university events during the day, please visit Virginia Tech's website “We Remember.”
