An event to show support for the Asian American Pacific Islander community will take place Saturday, April 10 at 3 p.m. Participants will gather in the parking lot of the former Roger’s Market Place, at the corner of 232nd Street Southwest and 56th Avenue West, before walking around the Town Center area holding signs of support.

Saturday’s rally is not officially sponsored by the city, but was organized by Mountlake Terrace Mayor Kyoko Matsumoto Wright and coordinated with the Mountlake Terrace Anti-Racist Coalition to help bring awareness to anti-Asian violence.

The Mountlake Terrace City Council during its Monday night business meeting unanimously approved a resolution condemning hate and discrimination, with the goal of supporting Asian and Asian American  communities.

“It’s pretty much a vigil,” she said. “Show up in support, bring your signs, we’ll have a moment of silence for the victims and then we’ll take a walk around the block.” She anticipated it will last approximately one hour and noted that due to a lack of power available in the parking lot the event will not feature speeches.

There has been a nationwide surge over the past year in violent and bigoted incidents specifically targeting people of Asian and/or Pacific Islander heritage.

Matsumoto Wright noted she’s currently one of only two Asian American elected city officials in Snohomish County and added, “I thought I should do something as the only Asian mayor in Snohomish County and I’ve never promoted that before,” she said.

She turned to Councilmembers Steve Woodard and Erin Murray for help with ideas during their own time away from the council “because I didn’t want to be doing it all myself,” Matsumoto Wright said. They were all careful to follow city rules governing official conduct and gatherings, she said, adding that the collaboration and additional perspectives contributed were helpful.

“It’s a peaceful event so please come to support our community” she said. “Hopefully I will welcome everybody personally, we’re not handing anything out, we don’t have an agenda, it’s just pretty much to give support.”

Matsumoto Wright noted because it’s expected to finish around dinnertime, she also hopes people will then patronize local restaurants and businesses. “I wanted to promote Mountlake Terrace,” she said.