June 27--A weeklong vigil to raise awareness of suicides by military members concluded Saturday morning near the Pasadena landmark also known as the "suicide bridge."
Veterans have taken turns over the last week standing a round-the-clock sentry on the Colorado Street Bridge, the site of more than 150 deaths, in what organizers describe as "a call for action on the alarming rate of military suicide."
The event called "Not On My Watch" was organized by the Glendale nonprofit Wellness Works to coincide with the national Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Week.
About 100 people gathered at the Elks Lodge near the bridge Saturday morning for a closing ceremony, said spokeswoman Kathy Lynch. Family members of three veterans who took their own lives received flags, she said.
"It was just very, very beautiful," Lynch said, adding that organizers hope to make the vigil an annual event.
harriet.ryan@latimes.com
