The family and friends of Mickey Shunick are announcing The Community Celebration to Honor Mickey Shunick. This is a public celebration that will take place at Parc International in Lafayette on September 29, 2012. Gates will open at 11:30 am, with the event beginning at noon. The Shunick family wants to emphasize that this is truly a celebration in every sense of the word, as well as a show of thanks to everyone in our community who helped to bring Mickey home. A public art wall will be on display. Beer and food will be available for purchase. T-shirts with a new, celebratory graphic will be sold for the cost of printing. (more details below)

DATE: Saturday, September 29,1012

TIME: Noon-5 pm (gates open at 11:30

LOCATION: Parc International in Downtown Lafayette

EVENTS:

• Words of thanks and memories from Mickey’s friends and family, and City-Parish President Joey Durel
• Public Art Wall display
• Live Music
  • 1:30 Whole Damn Town
  • 2:30 imagineIAM
  • 3:45 Rareluth
• 5:00 Public bike ride following the route Mickey took the morning of May 19th
• 6:00 UL- Lafayette football game where Mickey will be honored with her family present and the game will be dedicated to her strength and bravery

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE:

• Food and beer
• T-shirts with a new, celebratory graphic

The Community Celebration to Honor Mickey Shunick will begin with several friends sharing their memories of Mickey. City-Parish President Joey Durel will speak and the family and friends will recognize law enforcement officers, volunteers, donors, university officials, the district attorney’s office, Equusearch, Special K9s and our community as a whole for this incredible effort and outpouring of love to the Shunick family. Finally, the Shunick Family will give a personal statement to the community.

Hey guys, Absolutely monogramming is now making Mickey-UL shirts for $15! They’re awesome! http://www.ai1313.com/

When you get ready for bed tonight, send out some thoughts for Mickey. We set out with one thought and that was to get Mickey home. And after 3 months of what seemed like a never ending struggle, she’s home. Her story is finally brought to light. Let’s live on with Mickey in our hearts and in our ways upon which we choose to love each other. Never stop with the love. Always for Mickey.

Mickey Shunick is a hero and will always be remembered as a hero.

Hey guys. With the recent news many people have been asking what they can do now. We are asking that people who still wish to donate anything (flowers, gifts, money, etc.) can go directly to several different organizations:

Texas Equusearch: http://texasequusearch.org/

Laura Recovery Center: http://www.lrcf.org/donate

Lafayette Police Department: http://www.lafayettela.gov/police/index.asp

John Abdella: information can be obtained at 3372350270

The Humane Society: http://www.humanela.org/donate.htm

ARF: Animal Rescue Foundation: http://www.arf.net/how-you-can-help/donate/

Wild Cat Foundation: http://wildcatfoundationla.org/donate.html

Spay Nation: http://spaynation.net/donate_wish_list.html

Or any nonprofit organization of your choice. Some people have also been planting trees and flowers in honor of Mickey. These are just a few ways the love we all have for Mickey can continue flowing throughout the world. Thank you! We love you all! ♥

Since May 19th we have hoped and prayed for the safe return of Mickey Shunick, and this is the result we all feared, but now we are done with searching and have to begin healing. For the Shunick family, this is the worst tragedy any family could face, and they now ask only for privacy and time to heal. For those of us closest to Mickey and the Shunick family, this is an emotional wound that has been open for over two months. For all of the thousands of strangers touched by this event, we must keep all of our thoughts and prayers with the Shunick family. Now we must learn to live our lives from this point forward as we have lived them for the last two months, without our daughter, sister, and friend here with us.

Though this is undoubtedly a tragic event for all of us, we must find some light in the darkness. What the past weeks have shown us is the amazing power of love and humanity. Thousands of strangers, nearly all of whom had never heard the name Mickey Shunick before May 19th, came from all across Louisiana and the rest of the country to help a family find their daughter and a group of young people find their friend. All of the monetary and material donations are countless pieces of evidence of the love shown for Mickey and her family. We are so immensely grateful for all of the volunteers and the time they have devoted to this effort.

We also wish to thank all of the law enforcement agencies and search and rescue operations that have helped us throughout this ordeal. In addition, the donations and support provided to us by local businesses and civic groups has sustained us from the beginning, and we are enormously grateful for all of your help. Though this is not where we wanted to be today, we would be nowhere without your help.

Let us now grieve together for our loss of such a bright light in our lives. Let us not give into anger for what has been done, but let us instead strive to do as Mickey did before her light was taken from us. Let us do our part to make the world a little brighter.

Find Mickey Now Volunteer Center press release

Our world became a better place on May 21, 1990, when Mickey came into this world. She brightened the lives of everyone she touched. She deserved a long and happy life filled with love and laughter, but unfortunately, today’s news proved otherwise.

Today, we begin our lives without Mickey. We have not just lost our daughter and our children have not just lost their sister; but all of us have lost a part of ourselves. Now, as we begin our healing process, we can only ask for a bit of privacy from the media and the public during this somber time.

We have been so deeply touched by the thousands of strangers who have shown us their support during this difficult journey. We can never begin to repay all of you for your time, generosity, and unending support and love. And we know that Mickey would feel the same.

Also, we have to remember that we are not the only family that has been hurt by this tragedy. Please consider in your thoughts the other families that have unwillingly been made a part of this crisis.

Let us remember to always be inspired by who Mickey was: her contagious smile, her love for all creatures, her devotion to family and friends, her passion for her students (for whom she served as a role model), and last, but not least, the ray of sunshine she projects that will continue to make our world a little brighter.

We thank you for respecting our privacy in this difficult time by allowing us this opportunity to share these words with all of you today. Again, though we may now grieve for the loss of our daughter, let us also move forward by celebrating her life.

Thank you.

Statement from the Shunick Family