| Angels sing at the Voice of a Thousand Angels celebration at the Price Peace Gardens: Teonna Olsen, Madison Anderson, Calie Schade, Lauren Rice and Shainey Hackney get ready to sing and light candles in memory of six trapped miners at Crandall Canyon. |
A celebration called the Voice of a Thousand Angels was held at the Price Peace Gardens on Aug. 28. This presentation was spearheaded by a support group out of Portland, Ore. called Voice of a Thousand Angels. This group goes to cities where tragedy has occurred and brings a message of hope through music.
Arrangements were made with Price mayor Joe Piccolo to bring this group to the Price Peace Gardens.
The group also worked with Pastor Larry Sweeten who worked graveyard in the Crandall Mine until his arm injury. He was contacted to work with the families of the trapped miners and he has been on the scene from the beginning.
There are 16 members of this group coming from Portland to organize this event. The goal was to have a 1,000 student voice choir from the Carbon and Emery County communities to perform with the support group from Oregon.
There may not have been quite that many voices, but, they tried their best to sound like a thousand angels as they filled the streets of Price with music and light.
| Price Mayor Joe Piccolo greets those in attendance. |
Mayor Piccolo welcomed everyone to the program and introduced Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. who spoke to the audience. Gov. Huntsman said, “Mayor Piccolo is a great man and there are great people in these communities. This is a challenge that tries a community. Don’t let it be said we didn’t rise to the occasion. We will have a stronger economy, a safer environment and we are learning through difficult times what it means to put our arms together around people; it’s about love. Tonight is about remembrance, it’s about kids and about people. Keep in mind those candles represent real people and real lives. We are here to remember real people. These are the times that try people, but we will rise to the occasion. Never let it be said we didn’t rise to the occasion,” said Gov. Huntsman.
Elam Jones a miner who worked with those trapped in Crandall Canyon said he knows all of the miners and those who have been injured or have died. He wanted the trapped miners to know that everyone has put forth 100 percent. Everyone has been hurt by this event, but the miners will remain heroes and no one will ever forget them.
The musical presentations were next and the ceremony ended with song and the lighting of the candles in remembrance of the trapped miners.