A Night of Remembrance set June 7 at Washington Square in Ottawa

A Night of Remembrance event will be hosted from 7 p.m. to dark Friday, June 7, at the north end of Washington Square in downtown Ottawa.

Sponsored by Open Table United Church of Christ, the Night of Remembrance will honor members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies who have lost their lives to violence, suicide, AIDS and other causes related to navigating life as marginalized populations. People publicly known to have died because of violence in the past 12 months will be memorialized. Supplies will be provided for attendees to create additional memorials for those they wish to remember.

A program beginning at 8 p.m. will pay tribute to those being remembered, including short elegies, prayers, a guest speaker and music. Mony Ruiz-Velasco, deputy director of Equality Illinois, will speak. Memorials will remain lit in the park until after dark.

In case of rain, the Night of Remembrance will be at Open Table United Church of Christ, 910 Columbus St., across from the southeast corner of the park. The event will be in the second floor sanctuary and streamed on Facebook Live to a large monitor on the ground floor for those unable to navigate the staircases. The Jackson Street entrance will accommodate those with mobility limitations.

For information, call Open Table United Church of Christ at 815-433-0771.