RGJ.com: Vigil for Denison: ‘We will find her’

GUY CLIFTON  
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL Posted:1/26/08
 
Family and friends of missing Reno 19-year-old Brianna Denison wanted to send one clear message at a rally Friday night at Lawlor Events Center.

“We will find her, and we won’t stop,” said her aunt, Rena Denison-Terry. “We’re going to bring her home.”
About 300 people filled the Silver and Blue Room at Lawlor in support of Denison, a 19-year-old Santa Barbara City College student who hasn’t been seen since early Sunday morning when she went to sleep on the couch of a friend’s home near the University of Nevada, Reno.
More than 50 people held candles in the chilly night air outside the center before the rally began.
Many of the people were wearing T-shirts with her photo and the words “We Love You Brianna,” and family members urged people to “wear them everyday and be a walking billboard until she comes home.”
Speakers urged people to keep talking about Denison.
“Ask your friends, ask acquaintances, and talk about her every single day and don’t stop until we find her,” said Lezlie Kookenboo, a family friend, who urged attendees to distribute fliers and do everything they can. “Make it happen.”
“We’re going to keep positive, and we’re going to find her,” Kookenboo said.
Family members made appearances on CBS’s “The Early Show” on Friday morning and the Fox show “America’s Most Wanted” is expected to air a clip about the show tonight and a more extensive segment next Saturday, family members said.
Reno police and the FBI are investigating the case. Early Friday, they appealed to friends and neighbors to offer even the most “inconsequential” information that may have that could be related to the case.
Meanwhile, friends and family members stayed positive.
Daniel Fahari, a lifelong friend of Brianna Denison, said he flew in from Chicago on Friday and said people were talking about the case at the Chicago airport and on the plane.
“The whole country is behind us,” he said. “They want us to find her.”
Ally Goss, who attended Reno High School with Brianna, handed out T-shirts and talked about her friend.
“Bri is amazing,” she said. “She is, like, the nicest person you could ever meet.”
The rally included music, prayers by the Rev. Dave Pretlove of Life Church, and a number of speakers ranging from family members to friends and concerned community members who simply wanted to help the family.
“This is a defining moment for our community,” Jennifer Bushman said. “Someone out there knows something, and they need to come forward. We’re going to bring this girl home.”
Most of the speakers stressed the importance of staying positive.
“We’re going to find her, and she is coming home safe soon,” said Brianna’s brother, Brighton Denison.
 
 
 
 
source: rgj.com