Families come together to honor lost loved ones

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) —  Over the weekend, the Community United Effort or CUE Center held their 14th Annual National Missing Persons Conference in the Port City.

CUE’s primary missions include locating missing people and comforting their loved ones. Saturday night a candlelight vigil was held to honor those still missing.

There were plenty of hugs and tears at the vigil, but also an overwhelming sense of hope and a clear bond shared between affected families.

Kristie Davis, who was there to honor her brother, says events like these allow those who have lost loved ones to share their experiences with others.

“Never give up hope, and if you think there’s people out there who don’t understand, there really are. We have met so many families that have been through what we’ve been through, same situation, same circumstances. And you never really realize it until you get there,” said Davis.

During the vigil, a wall was unveiled with pictures of loved ones who are either still missing, or have since been found dead.

‘Keeper of the Flame’ awards were also presented to law enforcement, business leaders, organizations, media outlets, search personnel, and volunteers who have risen above their daily duties to help those in distress.

One recipient of those awards was WWAY’s Hannah Patrick for her work on her Unsolved series.