Taking place in Abingdon on Thursday, August 6, the ceremony will include lanterns painted with personally written messages of peace and goodwill to the people of Abingdon. The lanterns were painted by students at Notre Dame Seishin Junior High School in Hiroshima and were sent to Abingdon through the Hiroshima Coventry Club. Some of the lanterns bear messages such as 'Prayer for Peace Abingdon,' 'Abingdon and Japan,' and 'Shining Future Abingdon'. At the ceremony, the mayor of Abingdon will read a message from the mayor of Hiroshima. Emiko Urata, a recently retired teacher from Hiroshima with longstanding ties to Abingdon, will speak about the meaning of lantern floating.