Crime victims to be honored at upcoming virtual holiday remembrance reception

TOPEKA – (December 7, 2020) – Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt today announced his office, in cooperation with the Kansas Organization for Victim Assistance, will host a virtual reception in honor and remembrance of crime victims who lost their lives.

The reception will be livestreamed on December 17 and replaces the traditional in-person receptions held across Kansas due to health and safety concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The holiday season can be a difficult time for the families of crime victims, and the challenges brought on by the pandemic can increase the strain,” Schmidt said. “It is our hope that although we cannot gather this year in person, this virtual event will provide an opportunity to support families and to honor the memories of those who were taken from us.”

The public is also invited to view the reception which will be streamed at 2 p.m. December 17 and accessible for later viewing. More information is available on the attorney general’s website at www.ag.ks.gov/remembrance.

During the reception, 2019-2021 Kansas Poet Laureate Huascar Medina will read an original poem titled “Convergence.” The poem is shared with permission of the author at https://bit.ly/3lId6Qq.

WIBW-TV generously donated the production of the video for the virtual reception.

The Victims Services Division of the Attorney General’s Office is charged with coordinating statewide victim rights efforts and administering grants and education programs.

The division also provides a Kansas crime victims’ rights hotline at (800) 828-9745.