Newtown families urge kindness

NEWTOWN, Conn.

- Newtown officials asked for privacy and joined victims' families yesterday in calling for people to mark the upcoming anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting by performing acts of kindness or volunteering with charities.

Relatives of more than half the 26 victims said at a news conference that they planned to light a candle Friday night in honor of their lost loved ones. They also urged people thinking of the victims to find ways to give back to their own communities.

"In this way, we hope that some small measure of good may be returned to the world," said JoAnn Bacon, whose 6-year-old daughter, Charlotte, was among the 20 students and six educators shot to death in the school on Dec. 14, 2012. She was reading from a statement released by the families of all 26 victims.

The town has no formal events planned for Saturday, although there will be several memorial services. Officials have discouraged the news media from coming to Newtown.

"We are trying to respect the world's interest in us, but we also have a real need in our community to gain a foothold," First Selectman Pat Llodra said.

The families also announced they set up a new website - mysandyhookfamily.org - where each family can share information on how they are honoring victims.

The gunman, Adam Lanza, killed his mother inside their Newtown home before driving to the school, where he carried out his rampage. He killed himself as police arrived.