On June 12, a lone gunman entered an Orlando nightclub, killing 49 and injuring another 53 before being shot and killed.

A week later, on Sunday, June 19, nearly 200 Sedona residents gathered to pay tribute to those lives lost during a vigil at Posse Grounds Park called Operation Orlando. The event was co-hosted by Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Sedona/Verde Valley Pride and the city of Sedona.

“I was in a low place on that Monday [following the shooting],” said Dana Long, who organized the event. “I decided that instead of dwelling on it, I needed to do something. I felt Sedona would back an event and it did just that.”

Last week, members of co-hosting organizations met and decided a vigil and celebration of life would be the perfect way to pay tribute to those who lost their lives.

“Obviously we knew time was of the essence if we were going to have an event,” Long said. “I’ve been overwhelmed by the response we’ve received from residents and merchants in such a short amount of time. It shows that I wasn’t the only one feeling the way I did on that Monday and wishing to do something.”

When looking around at the park at all the people who turned out on fairly short notice, Long said it was a testament to the community.

“Sedona really came through,” she said. “There’s a lot of mixed emotions. People needed an event like this to unite and have a place to express their feelings. It’s therapeutic for many. A lot of people have a soft spot for humanity — as they should.

“I think regardless of what group was targeted [in the shooting], the response tonight would have been the same. But since it appears the gay community was his target, this hits too close to home for many of us.”

The exact motive for the killings is still being investigated as to whether it was solely terrorist based or if the gunman was targeting a specific group since the club catered predominantly to gays and lesbians.

In addition to the candlelight vigil, the event featured music, free hamburgers and hotdogs and a silent auction. Many of the proceeds went to the Orlando Victims Fund.

“When I was watching the news last weekend, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” Cottonwood resident Kyle Turner said. “So when I heard about tonight’s amazing event, I knew I had to come. Tributes like this one aren’t just about mourning the loss of gays and lesbians, it’s also about mourning the loss of innocent lives. It’s such a tragedy but tonight has helped many of us in the healing process.”

Sedona Fire District Chief Kris Kazian came out to volunteer his time cooking hamburgers and hotdogs, while at the same time honoring the lives lost and the first responders on the scene of the country’s worst mass shooting.

“That would have been a pretty dynamic and difficult event to manage both on the scene and afterwards for the first responders,” Kazian said. “We train but you can’t train for something like that.”