DENVER — Every year on the same night, Denver spends an evening honoring the metro community’s homeless population who died over the past year.
On Dec. 21, the winter solstice and longest night of the year, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless hosted the vigil outside Denver’s City and County Building. This was the organizations 34th year hosting the event.
“Because it is the longest night, it's often very cold on this night,” said Cathey Alderman, chief communications and public policy officer for the coaltion. “We think it’s a good time for the public to come out and be in community together but feeling how cold it is, how dark it can be. That’s exactly what people who died while homeless felt.”
This year, CCH said the 311 names on the list is the highest number they’ve ever seen at their annual memorial. Organizers read the name of each person on the list, and after each one, the crowd responded “We Will Remember.”
CCH shared a copy of the event's program, where the full list of names is available to review.
“Many of the people whose names will be read tonight didn’t have an honoring of their passing, maybe not of their life in general,” Alderman said. “We feel it’s important to provide some space, some dignity and respect to every individual – in celebration of their life and honor their death.”
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