Ralph Hutchison
The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance will commemorate the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, on Aug. 9, 1945, with a peace lantern ceremony this evening at Sequoyah Hills Park in Knoxville.
The ceremony begins at 8 p.m. and will include Buddhist drumming and chanting, traditional Japanese folk dancing, music, shadow puppets, and, at 8:45pm, the launching of peace lanterns, a press release said.
The ceremony takes place in the field adjacent to the parking area at the far west end of Cherokee Boulevard.
“This event has become a tradition for many of us in the Knoxville area,” said OREPA coordinator Ralph Hutchison. “We recall the past and commit ourselves to work for a future with less violence, and no nuclear weapons. And at the end of the day, we watch an utterly peaceful scene unfold as the lanterns drift into the Tennessee River.”
The peace lanterns are constructed of natural, biodegradable materials. All are welcome, the release said.
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