Community gathers to honor Summer Wells with “Summer’s Day”
KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) – On June 15, 2021, 5-year-old Summer Wells went missing from her home in Hawkins County, Tennessee. Three years later, the community continues to work tirelessly to keep Summer’s name in the public’s mind.
On Saturday, the Kingsport community held “Summer’s Day,” an event honoring the missing child. Summer’s father, Don Wells, said he keeps attending events like this one in hopes of connecting with his missing daughter.
“Summer might see this one day and be like, ‘Wait, that’s my name,'” said Wells. “‘And they’re talking about me.'”
For the last three years, community members have gathered on the anniversary of Summer’s disappearance.
Prayer event held ahead of Summer Wells’ birthday
“We had decided to hold something that was not a prayer vigil,” said Adrean Kelley, who helped organize the event. “We wanted to focus it on child safety and awareness for Summer. So, it kind of has a double purpose.”
The event featured activities such as rock painting and offered information on staying safe throughout the warm seasons. Organizer Skylar Park said the goal is to help those who might find themselves in the same situation.
“It’s a situation that nobody sees coming, and nobody wants to be in,” said Park. “But if it does happen, it helps to know what to expect [and] to be prepared. So, we really wanted to focus on activities that families do during the summer and ways to stay safe while doing [them].”
The event also honored other missing children and teens in Tennessee. Park said she hoped this event would help those who are missing family members feel that they were not alone. Don Wells said he is thankful for events such as Summer’s Day.
“We think a lot about Summer,” said Wells. “I wish she could be here with us. I’m glad that people are doing this for me and my wife, it helps us a lot.”
The event ended with a butterfly release at 7:03 PM, the time when the first officer arrived on the day of Summer’s disappearance. While remembering her is important, the Wells family said they want to see her come home.
“We appreciate the community and those people that are supporting us and they’re keeping their eyes and ears open for Summer,” said Wells.
Anyone with information surrounding Summer’s disappearance is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.
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