How to Organize a Vigil

Vigils can come in all shapes and sizes. It can be 20 people or 200 or a thousand. In its most basic form, a vigil is a peaceful gathering dedicated to a single cause. Organize a vigil to commemorate, dedicate or honor a special person or cause.

Instructions

1. Find out if you require a police permit. If the vigil will be in a public area, contact your local police and advise them of your plans. Find out if you need a permit and how you acquire one if it is necessary. Explain to the police what you plan to do, and they will tell you the classification of your action. While many public demonstrations do require a permit, a "picket" does not. Take care of this early since securing a permit can take up to 15 days.

2. Determine your location, and what the event's format will be. Will there be a planned agenda? Will you have speakers? Will the event be more of an informal gathering or remembrance? These details will largely affect the planning you'll need to do. Think about weather, time of day and security when choosing the location for your vigil as well.

3. Publicize your event to both the community and the local press. Doing so will enable you to maximize attendance and press coverage. Create a flyer to pass out to the community to draw awareness to your cause and invite people to the vigil. Send a simple media alert or press release to invite media to attend. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to raise more awareness for your event and cause.

4. Gather a group of dedicated and passionate individuals to help you organize the event and make it as successful as possible. You'll need volunteers to help with planning in addition to assisting with plans on the day of. Meet regularly as a group and together, formulate a plan that is realistic and evenly distributes the work required to get the job done.

5. Try to guess how many attendees you'll have in advance, to plan for refreshments and the like. Follow up with any speakers or other leaders who will participate in the event to ensure the vigil is on their calendars. Consider creating t-shirts or other affordable keepsakes. A group wearing matching shirts can make a big impact and catch the attention of the media and community.