Hundreds of people attended a recent ceremony held to recognize the families and loved ones of victims of violent crime, according to the Office of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Victim Witness Assistance Unit organizes the annual event, which is held to memorialize victims of violent crime and to help survivors embrace and honor those lost to violence. The ceremony included personal reflections of remembrance, a display of more than 100 photo boards featuring photos of those who have been lost to violence and on-site support groups. Jeff Maldonado, the father of homicide victim Jeffrey Maldonado Jr., an aspiring artist and musician who was shot and killed the day after his 19th birthday in 2009 and Erma Suggs, the mother of Cassandra Suggs-McRoy, who was strangled and killed by her husband in a domestic violence attack in 2002, shared their stories during the ceremony. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Victim Witness Assistance Unit is one of the largest prosecutor based victim advocacy programs in the country. The Victim Memorial Service was held on Saturday, September 26th at the UIC Forum in Chicago.