A collective of water-sports enthusiasts and fishermen will hold two ceremonies to honor the memory of a Maine paddleboarder killed earlier this month.
The Mic Mac Cove gathering of paddleboarders, canoers and kayakers is set for August 7, which would have been Sunshine Stewart’s birthday.
A “maritime celebration of life” is also being planned for August 10th in Tenants Harbor, the town where Stewart lived.
Police said they found Stewart’s body July 3 in Union on a Crawford Pond island, the victim of a brutal murder.
A teenage Mic Mac Cove camper, Deven Young, 17 – weeks away from his 18th birthday, was arrested nearly two weeks later and charged with Stewart’s murder.
Kim Ware, who is Stewart’s sister, announced that the memorial gathering – “Crawford Pond Paddle For Sunshine” – will begin at 6:00 p.m. August 7.
“All are invited to wear yellow and gather in solidarity with paddle board, kayak or canoe to pay tribute to Sunshine Stewart on the pond on her birthday,” Ware said.
“We’ll paddle to the causeway of the island where a small group will honor Sunny with a plaque,” Ware said.
The ceremony will include a “flower offering” with donated organic sunflowers.
Ware said participants are also welcome to bring their own organic flowers to the ceremony.
Three days later, at 10:30 a.m. August 10, Ware is holding the “Maritime Celebration Of Life” – aka boat parade – starting at the no-wake buoy in the vicinity of Mouse Island and ending at High Island.
That will be followed by a 2:30 p.m. pot-luck reception at Great Eastern Mussel Farm in Tenants Harbor.
