Whether you knew him or not, loved ones of Chris SanFeliz, a graduate of Tampa's Gaither High School who was killed in Sunday's mass shooting at Orlando's Pulse nightclub, are inviting you to celebrate his life and mourn his loss at a vigil.
The event is set for Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. at the Gaither High School football field. The school's address is 16200 N. Dale Mabry Hwy in Tampa.
SanFeliz was 24 when he died and he worked at a bank in Tampa.
"Chris believed that people should be open and honest. He lived his life proud. Chris was kind, generous and had many, many friends," reads a GoFundMe page set up in his honor.
The event takes place on Gaither's football field because of SanFeliz's participation in the school's marching band and wind ensemble.
Those who were close to him expect a big crowd, given how magnetic his personality was.
"Chris was extremely positive and very outgoing," said Joshua Palange, a close friend of his throughout junior high and high school who was a percussionist in marching band with him, in a Facebook message. "I know it may sound cliche but he really was someone that was always happy or could liven up a room."
Palange, who kept in touch with SanFeliz on social media in high school despite going in separate directions in life, said he expects most of the Gaither High School 2010 graduating class and band members from multiple classes to attend Wednesday's event.
This article appears in Jun 9-16, 2016.