On a bitter cold Sudbury night, dozens gathered in front of the Sudbury Community Arena to support the Osagie family after a New Year's Day tragedy took the lives of their three children.
There's been an outpouring of sadness from Sudburians since the crash that killed the Osagie children — Britney, 6, and her brothers Flourish, 10, and Destiny, 11, all three of them students at Chelmsford Public School.
The Osagie children's mother, Uche Osagie, who was driving the car, was uninjured in the crash, while another woman who was a passenger in the car — the mother of the surviving 10-year-old boy — suffered minor injuries.
On Jan. 16, more than 50 people, many from the city's Nigerian community gathered and huddled together for both warmth and comfort as they paid their respect to the lives that were lost just two weeks ago.
The vigil began in front of the Sudbury Arena and a procession made its way to Tom Davies Square, where prayers and songs were held in the foyer of the building.
One of the vigil's organizers, Charles Abass, spoke of the outpouring of support within not only the Nigerian community in Sudbury, but from the entire Sudbury community.
"We have no other option but to come together and support one another because this is a situation that no one ever thought of," said Abass.
"We have all found ourselves here and many of us have never met before but we have no other option but to make ourselves a family. When something as tragic as this happens we have to stand by (Uche) because she needs people around her, she's lost virtually everything, and that's why we've comed together to see what kind of help we can be to her."
Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas attended the vigil on Thursday evening and took time to circulate among those in attendance, offering words of condolence.
"Losing three children is something that no parent should have to go through, this is a tragedy," said Gelinas.
"This vigil tonight has brought the Nigerian community together and showed who they are and what they add to our community and how they make this community better with their spirit, how they help and support one another and how they make us all proud to support each other in our times of need."
Abass spoke highly of the support that the Osagie family has received, including a GoFundMe page that has raised $28,345 as of Jan. 16, after being opened for just 13 days.
"That goes straight into my heart, that touches my heart because I never thought it would be like that," said Abass. "People who are not of our community or of the same colour, the way they've stood by her, it shows that we're not alone even though we're far away from home, this is home away from home now. I want to say thank you to everyone for being human and for doing everything they've done to make us feel welcome, it really touches my heart."
The three children who died in the tragic crash will be laid to rest this Saturday. Friends are invited to a visitation for from 2-5 p.m. on Jan. 17 at Lougheed Funeral Home, 252 Regent Street at Hazel Street.
A funeral service will be held at Glad Tidings Church, 1101 Regent Street, on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 11 a.m. Interment will be at the Civic Memorial Cemetery in Sudbury.
For donations and messages of condolence, visit Lougheed.org.
