Tops to Host May 14 Remembrance Ceremony at Jefferson Avenue Store
Store will briefly close for the ceremony from 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. to remember the ten individuals lost and honor survivors
At 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, Tops Friendly Markets will hold a remembrance ceremony near the 5/14 Honor Space that the company established at its Jefferson Avenue store as a place of community healing and reflection.
The ceremony will serve as an intimate gathering for families, friends and neighbors to remember their loved ones and reflect on the ongoing healing journey. It will feature a blessing, tributes from local and state officials, and a recitation of the ten individuals who lost their lives. At 2:28 p.m., a moment of silence will be observed before the ceremony concludes with a tolling of remembrance bells and a special hymn of There is a Balm in Gilead by Karen Saxon.
Prior to the start of the remembrance ceremony, wreaths will be placed in the 5/14 Honor Space at approximately 1:40 p.m. by family members of those lost, two Tops store associates, as well as Tops executives John Persons and Ron Ferri.
Tops will pause operations at its Jefferson Avenue store for a temporary closure during the remembrance ceremony. The store will be open to serve the community from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., close from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. for the ceremony, and then reopen at 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. The store will return to regular operating hours on Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Media is asked to RSVP by Wednesday, May 13, at 12 p.m. to Kathy Sautter at ksautter@topsmarkets.com.
WHEN: 1:40 p.m., Thursday, May 14, 2026 (Formal ceremony begins promptly at 2 p.m.)
WHERE: Tops Friendly Markets, 1275 Jefferson Ave., Buffalo, N.Y. 14208
IMPORTANT NOTES: Need-to-know for the May 14 event:
Tops will allow media inside its Jefferson Avenue store to gather b-roll while the store is closed, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. To best protect local customers and store associates who rely on this store for everyday needs, journalists and photographers will not have access to the store outside of this 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. media availability.
We ask for your understanding and respect for victims’ families and survivors who are attending the remembrance ceremony. Due to the sensitivity of this event, we ask that you only approach Kathy Sautter or John Mackowiak, our on-site media contacts, if you wish to engage with any families directly impacted by the tragedy. Kathy or John will field any media requests for families and survivors in attendance.
Tops store associates will not be available for interviews at the store on or before May 14 out of respect for their healing journey.
Tops Markets executives John Persons, CEO of Northeast Grocery Inc. (Tops parent company), and Ron Ferri, president of Tops, will have availability for interviews after the ceremony upon request. Many of the public officials in attendance will also be available for interviews, though a confirmed and final list of expected officials is not yet available.
ABOUT THE 5/14 TOPS HONOR SPACE:
Located at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Landon Street, the Tops 5/14 Honor Space was built in memory of the beautiful lives lost and forever altered on May 14, 2022. At the heart of the Honor Space pace stands Unity, a stainless-steel sculpture created by Buffalo artist Valeria Cray and her son Hiram Cray to serve as a powerful, visual depiction of faith, hope, and love. The sculpture is surrounded by 10 granite honor bollards, each dedicated to forever remember the 10 individuals whose lives were cut short. The story of the 5/14 Tops Honor Space and its artwork is further brought to life through poetic descriptions penned by Buffalo poet and artist Aitina Fareed-Cooke. Inside the store, a memorial water wall that is inscribed with Jillian Hanesworth’s poem “Water” serves as a lasting tribute to the victims, survivors and the community’s healing journey.