Saturday, November 29, 2008

SURVIVOR CEREMONY: Sky Terrace Mobile Lodge in Lake View Terrace

i was extremely humbled and honoured to be invited by the SKY TERRACE MOBILE LODGE community to lead a ceremony for the survivors of the MAREK/MEREK FIRES, to help acknowledge the residents' many losses, including their beloved pets, and to grieve over the transient man who lost his life in the fire.

The Los Angeles Times reported on the CEREMONY, in an effort to call attention to the community and to help them receive assistance from the government and federal agencies:

"After hearing from Venus Kitagawa-Stojsic, who described herself as a
Celebrant with a humanist church, the residents spoke about what they had lost
and their experiences since flames raced through Sky Terrace on Oct. 13.

"The ceremony ended with a moment of silence to pray for the homeless man
and pets killed in the fire. None of the Sky Terrace residents knew the man's
name, and officials have yet to identify him.

"Most of us have a bond now that we didn't have before, but this ceremony
is about moving on and restarting our lives," Zuchegna said."
Many, many thanks to the residents of Sky Terrace, to Linda Zuchegna for contacting me, and to her husband, the esteemed animator and CalArts professor Corny Cole.

No comments: