La Quinta holds annual candlelight vigil on 9/11, honors fallen Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez
The community gathered at the La Quinta Civic Center on Saturday evening to honor the lives lost on 9/11, to reflect on history and to thank our first responders.
“We come together in service and remembrance to honor the 3,000 beautiful lives taken from us...so cruelly…20 years ago,” said La Quinta Mayor Linda Evans.
Dozens of people took part in a candlelight vigil. “It’s just good to be a part of these like minded people who care about this country,” said Reno Barela, a resident of Indio.
“We would be nowhere without first responders, the military, policemen,” added Sherry Palmateer, a resident of Bermuda Dunes.
The event featured several speakers, touching musical tributes, and a special dedication to fallen Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez, the Coachella Valley native killed in Afghanistan last month.
Community members also gathered around the 9/11 monument in the park -- it encases a steel beam from ground zero of the World Trade Center.
