LEWISTON — Organizers of L/A World Refugee Day have postponed the celebration scheduled for Wednesday in Lewiston.
A post on the event’s Facebook page explained that the decision was made “in light of recent events in Lewiston and in order to allow the community time to grieve the loss of these two community members, Rayan Issa and Donald Giusti.”
Rayan was a 13-year-old Lewiston Middle School student who drowned last week during a school field trip to Range Pond in Poland Spring.
Giusti was a 38-year-old Lewiston man who died Friday after being beaten near Kennedy Park in Lewiston
“This week it is important to stand united as one Lewiston community by prioritizing time for all people within our city to grieve and to heal. We believe that the relationships built in our community are resilient and that we can rely on each other to heal and move forward together,” the Facebook post read.
No new date was given for the event.
“World Refugee Day is intended to commemorate the strength, courage and perseverance of millions of refugees fleeing violence and persecution, including many of our Lewiston neighbors,” the post read. “The WRD planning committee believes in the importance of honoring our refugee community and intends to recognize World Refugee Day at a later date.”
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