Ariana Grande Sends Love To Manchester Victims 1 Year After Tragic Bombing: ‘I Love You With All Of Me’
May 22, 2018
Ariana Grande Sends Love To Manchester Victims 1 Year After Tragic Bombing: ‘I Love You With All Of Me’
One year after a terrorist killed several children by detonating a bomb outside an Ariana Concert in Manchester, the singer was ‘thinking’ of all the victims and survivors of the horrible attack.
“Thinking of you all today and every day,” Ariana Grande, 24, tweeted on May 22, one year after the deadly 2017 bombing outside the Manchester Arena left 22 people dead and more than a 100 people seriously injured. The explosion occurred as fans were exiting following Ariana’s concert, and the anniversary has her eyes – and heart – turned towards Manchester. “I love you with all of me and am sending you all of the light and warmth I have to offer on this challenging day.”
She included the bee emoji, which happens to be the symbol of Manchester, due to the city’s history of hard-working people. In the 1800s, Manchester was full of textile mills that were commonly described as “hives of activity.” In the days following the deadly attack, the bee was adopted as a symbol of unity, according to the Manchester Evening News, representing the city’s “indomitable spirit.” A mural of twenty-two worker bees – representing those killed by Salman Ramadan Abedi’s homemade bomb – now resides on the side of the Koffee Pot building in the city’s Northern Quarter.
A little piece of Manchester will always be a part of Ariana’s soul following that horrific event. She made sure to spend time with victims of the bombing, making a surprise visit to a Manchester hospital in June 2017. Shortly after that visit, she held the One Love Manchester benefit concert. Along with some major acts like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Little Mix and Manchester native Liam Gallagher, Ariana helped raise more than $3 million for the victims and families affected by the attack, per NPR.
thinking of you all today and every day 🐝 I love you with all of me and am sending you all of the light and warmth I have to offer on this challenging day
— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) May 22, 2018
On the one-year-anniversary, hundreds of people flocked to Manchester to pay their respects. UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Prince William will attend a cathedral service along with families of victims, the injured and several local and national leaders, according to CNN. “Today my thoughts and prayers are with those who were lost on that terrible night,” Theresa wrote in the Manchester Evening News, “their loved ones who have so bravely battled to rebuild their lives; those who have courageously fought to overcome physical injury or mental scars; our first responders and emergency services and those volunteers and professionals who are continuing to help this community heal. All of you — and many more in this great city – are the very best of what this country stands for.”