Mayor urges Feilding community to turn out for vigil

Manawatu District Mayor Ian McKelvie hopes the Feilding community can keep their chins up during these hard times.

He is urging the community to come together Friday night for a candlelight service as a mark of respect to those who have lost their lives and to support the families and friends of those affected by recent events.

"We are just a small community and everybody knows somebody who knows the families affected, but they don't know them well enough to go to see them at their house or ring them up to say hello," said Mr McKelvie.

He said the community vigil was also an opportunity to thank those people associated with the emergency services, many of them volunteers, whose resolve had been tested by the tragedies. "These events impact on a small community like ours more than in bigger areas. I don't like it and I've found it quite testing."

"But you have to keep your chin up, because if you don't, the rest of the community may not keep theirs up."

The community vigil will start at 5pm outside the town clock tower. It will be followed by a performance by the Feilding Combined Church youth band. Flight Training Manawatu will fly past in commemoration of Jessica Neeson.

- © Fairfax NZ News