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Ceremony honors people who died this year while experiencing homelessness in Austin

A man hugs his daughter while holding a string that hangs from a tree. Behind them another man wipes his eyes with a tissue.
Charlotte Keene
/
KUT News
Robbie Bennett hugs his 9-year-old daughter, Eleanor, during House the Homeless' 32nd annual memorial service at the Tree of Remembrance in Auditorium Shores.

Community members gathered Sunday for an annual memorial service for people who died this year while experiencing homelessness.

The ceremony, hosted by the nonprofit House the Homeless, was held at the Tree of Remembrance on Vic Mathias Shores. Speakers addressed the crowd before small wooden bats with the names of people who died were hung on the tree.

Roughly 208 people who were homeless died this year, according to House the Homeless President Blythe Plunkett.

A woman dressed in a military camouflage uniform and wearing a matching hat speaks at a microphone.
Charlotte Keene
/
KUT News
Sherri Taylor speaks about a friend who died this year during the memorial service at the Tree of Remembrance.
Two women sit on a rock ledge with their hands clasps while looking down.
Charlotte Keene
/
KUT News
Kate Pumarejo and Kelli Brizendine bow their heads during prayer at Sunday's memorial service.
A man wearing a black hat and sunglasses plays the saxophone into a microphone.
Charlotte Keene
/
KUT News
James Brinkley opens the service with a saxophone melody.
A group of six people, including three women, two men and a young boy, sit on a rock ledge listening to a speaker (not shown).
Charlotte Keene
/
KUT News
Attendees listen to speakers during the service. More than 200 people experiencing homelessness in the Austin area died this year.
Two bags filled with small wooden bats that have names on them sits on a table.
Charlotte Keene
/
KUT News
Small wooden bats with the names of people who died are displayed at a memorial service at the Tree of Remembrance at Auditorium Shores.
A woman clips a small wooden bat with a name on it to a string hanging from a tree.
Charlotte Keene
/
KUT News
Attendees hang the bats on the Tree of Remembrance.
A young boy clips a small wooden bat with a name on it to a string hanging from a tree.
Charlotte Keene
/
KUT News
Charlie Thurman, 9, clips a bat on the tree.
A man sprinkles dirt onto the ground behind a set of strings hanging from a tree that are filled with small wooden bats.
Charlotte Keene
/
KUT News
Freddy Pettit sprinkles dirt onto the soil at the Tree of Remembrance.
A plaque sits in the ground surrounded by flowers. Above the plaque hangs strings with small wooden bats attached.
Charlotte Keene
/
KUT News

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