At a time of racial unrest in our community and around the country, a candlelight vigil focuses attention on the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating effects on our older population and their families.

Dozens gather in the lawn of The Hurlbut on East Henrietta Road Friday evening for a candlelight vigil.

They are here to honor those who lost their lives to COVID-19 in nursing homes, their families, and all those affected by the pandemic crisis in nursing homes.

Gates resident Linda Miller’s 99-year-old father is a resident here.

“We just want to support the Hurlbut," Miller said. "It’s unprecedented. It’s something they’ve had to deal with and we just want to support them and everybody here and the staff and everybody.”

The event is called Lights for Liberty, organized by radio show host Shannon Joy.

“It just was on my heart to not forget this community in nursing homes, the nursing homes community, people who have been suffering," Joy said. "And it just seemed as we moved into this new media cycle of the riots and the protests that I didn’t want, we didn’t want these people to be forgotten. “

Eddie Gigliotti of Bushnell's Basin says why he’s here during these challenging times.

“A lot of us are struggling in all different aspects," he said. "In all different aspects from the lockdown to losing jobs to racial unrest, to a lot of different stuff and I think we just got to be being back to being people and remember that we’re here for each other and we’re all on the same team.”

According to the state, The Hurlbut has had seven COVID deaths and seven presumed COVID-19 deaths.

But, the group gathers here to honor everyone in nursing homes everywhere affected by the pandemic.