Mayor Michelle Wu announced a series of events on Monday to honor the victims, survivors and first responders from the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.
She announced two One Boston Day remembrance events on Boylston Steet on Saturday, April 15. In addition, over a dozen One Boston Day volunteer events will be hosted by city departments and neighborhood organizations. Residents are encouraged to participate in one of these acts of service or take part in their own act of kindness. A full list of One Boston Day volunteer events can be found at boston.gov/one-boston.
“Every year we come together on One Boston Day to remember the courage, strength, and resilience shown by our City’s people in 2013,” Wu said in a statement. “As we mark ten years, we will gather together in community on April 15 to remember the lives that were lost, the many injured, and the spirit of humanity displayed that day. As we honor those forever impacted, people in all corners of our City will be giving back in a number of ways and I encourage everyone to get involved.”
Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters.
The city and the Boston Athletic Association will honor the day with two remembrance events on Boylston Street on Saturday, April 15.
The first will be an early morning private gathering and wreath laying at the memorial sites for the families who lost loved ones at the 2013 Boston Marathon. Honor guards, including the Boston Fire Department, Boston Police Department, Boston Emergency Medical Services, and Suffolk County Sheriff Department’s Honor Guards, will be present at the memorial sites throughout the day. After the B.A.A. 5K race, the City will open Boylston Street between Dartmouth and Fairfield Streets for members of the public to visit the memorial sites.
Then at 2:30 p.m., the public is invited to join members of the One Fund Community, Gov. Maura Healey and Wu, first responders, hospital leaders, B.A.A. leadership, and local running groups at the Boston Marathon Finish Line for a dedication of a new commemorative finish line, the ringing of bells, and the unveiling of a One Boston Day marker on Boylston Street.
“As One Boston Day approaches, we continue to honor the strength and resilience of our community,” said Jack Fleming, B.A.A. president and chief executive officer. “This year, our theme for the Boston Marathon is oneBOSTON, symbolizing the unity and spirit witnessed after April 15, 2013. This year, we will gather on Boylston Street as one with the City of Boston and runners from around the world in reflection and remembrance.”
Groups interested in registering their volunteer events for One Boston Day can continue to do so here. The mayor is also encouraging Boston residents to take part in their own individual acts of kindness, including those on the 2023 One Boston Day Acts of Kindness Checklist. Examples from the checklist range from buying a cup of coffee for a stranger to donating blood.
Like in years past, people are welcome to share their reflections and acts of service plans for One Boston Day on social media with the hashtag #OneBostonDay.
