Walkers remember Jan. 8 under clear blue skies

Posted Jan 7, 2012

Dylan Smith
TucsonSentinel.com

Dylan Smith/TucsonSentinel.comSusie Hileman and her husband Bill embrace on the spot emblazoned 'Hug someone here!' Saturday at the GRIN/CTG Stroll & Roll at Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Park. The stroll was part of the BEYOND: Commemorate, Celebrate, Commit daylong communitywide event.
Josh Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comParticipants hold hands as they walk along the path at Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Park.
Josh Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comParticipants were invited to share messages in sidewalk chalk along the trail.
Josh Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comSusan Hileman and her husband Bill embrace in the morning sunlight at Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Park.
Dylan Smith/TucsonSentinel.com
Josh Pearson/TucsonSentinel.comShooting survivor Susan Hileman enthusiastically greeted all who came to participate.
Dylan Smith/TucsonSentinel.com
Dylan Smith/TucsonSentinel.com
Dylan Smith/TucsonSentinel.com
Dylan Smith/TucsonSentinel.com

Hundreds turned out to commemorate Jan. 8 at the "Each One Take One Stroll and Roll" at the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial River Park on the Northwest Side on Saturday morning.

While the morning air held a slight chill, blue skies and warm sunlight greeted those who showed up to walk the 3-mile path in the park — as did the ever-energetic Susie Hileman.

"I'm surrounded by love on this beautiful day," she said as she tried to speak with each person arriving at the event.

"I've got an in with heaven," she said, explaining the weather.

Hileman was shot on Jan. 8, as she tried to protect her neighbor, Christina-Taylor Green, a nine-year-old who wanted to meet her congresswoman. Green was killed in the shooting spree at U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' "Congress On Your Corner" meet-and-greet.

"You don't think she's here? She's here," Hileman said, speaking of Green.

By 10 a.m., some 200 people were walking the park's paved loop, some jogging, some strolling contemplatively.

Volunteers handed out pieces of colored chalk, and people drew hearts and suns, and wrote messages on the path.

"Hug someone here!" was written, with a spot in the middle of the path indicated. Another chalk message quoted U2: "It's a beautiful day, don't let it slip away."

"Christina-Taylor Green, we love you," said another message.

The event was billed on the BEYOND website as an encouragement to "GET MOVING and MOVE BEYOND...."

"Being stuck in the past doesn't make things better," Hileman said with a bit of a hitch in her voice.

"There's a hole in my life where she was," she said.

The event was co-sponsored by GRIN and The Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Foundation.

Killed & wounded Jan. 8

Six were killed and 13 wounded in the Jan. 8 mass shooting.

Killed

Christina-Taylor Green, 9, a student at Mesa Verde Elementary
Dorothy Morris, 76, a retiree
Judge John Roll, 63, a U.S. District judge
Phyllis Schneck, 79, a retiree
Dorwin Stoddard, 76, a retiree
Gabe Zimmerman, 30, Giffords' director of community outreach

Wounded

Bill Badger
Ronald Barber
Kenneth Dorushka
James Fuller
Randy Gardner
Gabrielle Giffords
Susan Hileman
George Morris
Mary Reed
Pamela Simon
Mavanell Stoddard
James Tucker
Kenneth Veeder

Filed under

news, crime & safety, family/life, history, local, arizona, breaking, outdoors,

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