The sisters of Alpha Xi Delta Beta Mu gather annually on March 2 to honor their lost angels.
In 2012, five sisters were involved in a fatal accident, when a driver struck their vehicle while they were heading to Detroit Metro Airport for spring break.
Three sisters, Rebekah Blakkob, Christina Goyett and Sarah Hammond passed away from the accident, while the remaining two sisters, Kayla Somoles and Angelica Mormile, were in critical condition but eventually recovered and view their recoveries as miracles.
In memoriam of these sisters, Alpha Xi Deltas gather around a dedicated bench outside of the BTSU each March 2 to release paper lanterns and sing “You’ll Be in My Heart” by Phil Collins.
This year marks the ninth anniversary of taking time to remember the sisters. An additional four sisters will also be honored: Janet Shanklin, Linda Snyder, Jenny Foreman and Nancy Pardieck.