VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — What started as a request from the superintendent of Virginia Beach City Public Schools quickly spread across the region.
Dr. Aaron Spence encouraged everyone in the Virginia Beach schools family to wear blue on Monday in a tweet posted on Saturday. Many other school districts across Hampton Roads joined in soon after, asking the same of their students and staff.SPECIAL COVERAGE: VIRGINIA BEACH MASS SHOOTING
On Monday, numerous photos of residents, students and school staff, and employees in other cities wearing blue, were posted to social media.
Michael Taylor, the principal at Providence Elementary School in Virginia Beach, posted a photo to Twitter of the school’s students and staff forming a giant “VB” as a sign saying “STRONG” was held in the foreground.
“We are just paying respects,” says senior Bella Cabaccan.
Cabaccan says Saturday she got on the phone with SCA students from all over the city. She created a post asking for everyone to wear blue Monday. Within minutes the post went viral.
“It is sad that this is the reason that it blew up, but it is really comforting seeing that we are all here for each other and Virginia Beach is just one giant family,” Cabaccan added.
The family in that sea of blue is now wrapping its arms around the families left behind.
“To see our students really reach out and take the lead and set the tone for us as adults to follow, it really touched me,” said Princess Anne Principal Danny Little.
Schools from all over Hampton Roads have posted pictures of students in blue.
“We are all in this together,” Cabaccan added. “We are all grieving and we are all healing.”