Raising Our Light

The Montecito community gathered on January 9 for Raising Our Light, the annual remembrance ceremony honoring the 23 lives lost in the 1/9 Debris Flow. The crowd assembled outside Montecito Union School, where speakers offered personal reflections and the names of the victims were read aloud. Twenty-three bells rang across local churches and schools, and Montecito firefighters lit 23 candles before the crowd observed a shared moment of silence. After the ceremony, attendees moved into the courtyard for community fellowship and refreshments provided by Rosewood Miramar, while a bright searchlight shone over Montecito as a symbol of unity and remembrance.