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Angel Families Unite will hold a vigil in honor of the National Day of Remembrance for Homicide Victims at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25.
The date was designated by Congress in 2007 as a day to remember those who lost their lives to senseless acts of violence.
This year marks the sixth vigil for the area, which was started by group Lead Advocate Bridget Irwin, who had previously organized ceremonies in Alabama prior to moving back to the area.
"I recognized that there was nothing in our area, so I got some therapy friends together that had criminal justice backgrounds, and I said, 'this is what I did down south. Let's model it after that, and we built it one family at a time, and now we have a huge following," Irwin previously told the Sun-Gazette.
Irwin was recently recognized for her work with the organization by the Commonwealth University-Mansfield Alumni Association, who presented her with their Alumni Citation Award, the highest honor presented by the association.
"Established in 1969, the Alumni Citation Award recognizes a member of the alumni community who has made exceptional contributions to society through professional, civic, philanthropic work and leadership activities," the University's website said.
Irwin and her fellow advocates work with the District Attorney's Office in order to connect family members involved in such tragedies.
The group has been a breath of fresh air for those who have experienced such a tragic loss.
"They're always really surprised that something like this exists, because they feel so alone when it happens, so when they find out that we exist, there's a relief that happens, because they're like, 'wow, I'm suddenly surrounded by 100 people that understand what I'm going through,'" Irwin explained.
Though the internet has made connecting with others with shared trauma infinitely easier, the personal touch of groups like Angel Families Unite can have a profound effect on survivors, Irwin said.
"That in person support is important because when you get into the court hearings and all of the intimate details being put on public scrutiny, having that in person support is so invaluable," she said.
Additionally, the group does a lot of work to educate the public and even help the media to be more sensitive to the cases they cover, including reaching out to media sources suggesting more sensitive headlines or wording.
"It's important, because as a community, we want to hold space for healing," she said.
"We want everybody to feel safe enough to just kind of feel the feels. If you want to talk about your therapeutic journey, you can, if you want to talk about the personal impact, you can," Irwin said.
Resources for both victim's families and advocates will be available at the ceremony.
"All of us have criminal justice and therapy backgrounds, so we often do referrals to different agencies depending on different needs. And we have connections with all age levels, so we're able to get kiddos into programs, as well," Irwin said.
"Prior to the ceremony, at 5 p.m., we usually have a craft activity for the kiddos to engage in, to give them an age appropriate support, because the ceremony is pretty somber," Irwin said.
"We just hold space for the speakers to discuss wherever they're at in their journey. We have some people that have had the murder happen 20 years ago, and we have some people that it just happened four months ago," she said.
This year's speakers include family members of Ronald Dailey Jr., who, along with Alisha Seese, lost his life in a January 2024 double homicide, Skyler Sholder, the wife of Robert "Bobby" Sholder Jr., a city native who tragically died during a multi-vehicle crash along Route 54 in Montour County in July 2024.
Dailey's sister, Nichol Sites, became an angel sister and now works as an advocate with Angel Families Unite following the loss of her beloved brother.
Heather Lane, the twin sister of Katlyn Harp, a Bloomsburg resident whose life was cut short in June 2025 will also offer testimony, as will Holly Koch whose brother, Christopher Welch, was killed in a car collision in July 2021.
Following the speakers, a candlelight memorial will be held during which the names of homicide victims from in and around Lycoming County are read.
As in previous years, North Central Bikers, based out of Sunbury, will be on hand to hang out with, and entertain any children in attendance, while parents observe or participate in the ceremony.
"I don't know that a lot of people know the bikers are available, so it's important that they come every year, so that people know that this is available for the kiddos," Irwin said, calling it an "incredible partnership."
Though the group and ceremony are geared towards those who have lost loved ones, Irwin stressed that anyone can get involved.
"You don't have to personally know a victim to come and show your support. We want the general public to come because we want this to be a community event," Irwin stressed.
Anyone seeking support or wishing to be a source of support for the loved ones of those lost are encouraged to reach out to Angel Families Unite by phone at 570-447-2083 or via their Facebook page.