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National Crime Victims’ Rights Week: Multi-agency ceremony to be held in Cape Coral

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A ceremony will be held this weekend in honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

Hosted by the Cape Coral Police Department, in collaboration with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Myers Police Department, and State Attorney’s Office and Victim Services Coalition for the 20th Judicial Circuit, the Butterfly and Dove Release will take place on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Rotary Park.

“Victims’ Rights Week is celebrated nationwide in the beginning of April of every year,” Pat Lucas, victim assistance coordinator for the Cape Coral Police Department, said.

Running from April 2-8, this year’s theme is “Strength, Resilience and Justice.”

“It’s to raise awareness in the community about how crime has impacted victims and how the community can come together to assist victims in rebuilding their lives,” she said.

According to Lucas, the CCPD is one of the 2017 community awareness projects to receive a grant supported by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime to organize the event.

“We’re honored to have received this grant,” she said.

On Sunday, the bagpipes from Guns n Hoses Pipes n Drums of SW Florida will perform and Cape Coral Police Chief David Newlan will provide the welcoming. The keynote speaker is Tara Moser, a therapist with Delta Family Counseling in the Cape. Moser will talk about strength and resilience.

“We will have the theme of justice,” Lucas said.

State Attorney Stephen B. Russell will address that topic.

“We will have songs and poems throughout the ceremony,” she said.

“A survivor whose son was killed is going to be speaking,” Lucas added.

Tracy Miller is the mother of Adam King, 18. On June 19, King was hit by a vehicle while riding his motorcycle on Colonial Boulevard near Deleon Street. The vehicle fled and King died at the scene.

Doves and butterflies will be released in memory of loved ones.

“We are also going to read the names of the homicide victims from March 2016 to the present from each of the three agencies,” she said, adding that there are 37 names in total.

Over a dozen agencies will have informational booths on site.

“Our program will include community resource agencies that will set up displays to make our victims aware of all of the resources that are available to them in the community to help them rebuild their lives,” Lucas said.

Sunday will wrap up with a luncheon provided by Mission BBQ.

“We’ll also have a rock painting activity for the children, so they can paint memory rocks in honor of their loved ones,” she said.

Organizers are anticipating a crowd of about 150 people.

The public is welcome to come out.

“I think, primarily, we want our survivors to know that whatever police department they are working with that our departments, our advocates, have not forgotten about them,” Lucas said.

Rotary Park is at 5505 Rose Garden Road.

For more information, visit online at: ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.