A candlelight vigil was organized in Kewanee on September 20, 2025, to honor the memory of Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot during a presentation on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, just 10 days earlier on September 10th. Dozens of people gathered in Veterans’ Park by Kewanee City Hall for speeches, prayers, and tributes to Charlie Kirk. Today, October 14, 2025, marks Charlie Kirk’s 32nd Birthday. Friends, family, and supporters reflected on his legacy, calling for peace and dialogue in the wake of his loss. Organizers expressed gratitude for the turnout and the show of support during this difficult time.
As reported by Alexandra Hutzler with ABC News:
President Donald Trump on Tuesday posthumously awarded conservative activist Charlie Kirk the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on what would have been his 32nd birthday.
The ceremony took place in the newly-renovated White House Rose Garden.
The award was accepted by Erika Kirk, who delivered tearful remarks on her husband’s life and legacy. In one especially emotional moment, she said she had asked her 3-year-old daughter what she would like to say to her father for his birthday.
“‘Happy birthday daddy,"” she said the girl’s message read. “I want to give you a stuffed animal. I want you to eat a cupcake with ice cream. And I want you to go have a birthday surprise. I love you,’ it’s what she said.”
“Today, we’re here to honor and remember a fearless warrior for liberty, a beloved leader who galvanized the next generation like nobody have ever seen before, and an American patriot of the deepest conviction, the finest quality and the highest caliber, the late, great Charlie Kirk,” Trump said.
“Five weeks ago, our nation was robbed of this extraordinary champion,” Trump said.
Kirk was fatally shot on Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University on the first stop of his The American Comeback Tour, which invited college students to debate hot-button issues.
Trump was the first to announce later that day that Kirk had died, and the next day said he would be be awarding Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom as he hailed the Turning Point USA founder “a giant of his generation.”
