Naperville bell to toll for lives lost in Newtown

“Big Joe” — the largest of the 72 bells housed in Naperville’s Millennium Carillon in Moser Tower — will toll 26 times at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 21, as a symbolic act to remember the lives lost in Newtown, Conn.

The event will coincide with the “day of mourning” proclaimed by Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy that will begin with a moment of silence at 8:30 a.m. Malloy also has asked for houses of worship and government buildings in his state and beyond to participate by ringing bells to honor each of the lives taken.

“Tragedies like these touch all of our lives in some way,” Ray McGury, Naperville Park District executive director, said in a written release. “We are honored that Naperville can share in remembering those lost in a small, yet symbolic way.”