GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The holidays can be a difficult time for families who have lost loved ones, but an event Sunday evening aimed to show them support.
Dozens of local families took part in Worldwide Candle Lighting Day, honoring the lives of sons and daughters who have died.
The Compassionate Friends of Grand Rapids hosted the event at Gilda's Club on Bridge Street.
"It doesn't matter how they passed away (or) what they passed away from. They were their children. They were our children," said event co-organizer Connie Peterman, whose son died in 2011.
The international event begins each year at 7 p.m. in New Zealand. After that, each time zone burns candles for an hour when the clocks strike 7 p.m. Each candle marks a lost life.