PHOTOS: First Lady Jill Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis find common ground at Surfside remembrance ceremony 1 year after collapse

Kimberly LeonardJun 25, 2022, 01:12 IST

First lady Jill Biden, center, leads a round of applause for first responders during a remembrance event at the site of the Champlain Towers South building collapse, Friday, June 24, 2022, in Surfside, Florida.Wilfredo Lee/AP Photo

It's been one year since the Champlain Towers South partially collapsed in the middle of the night.
Hundreds gathered for a remembrance ceremony with First Lady Jill Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

SURFSIDE, Florida — Hundreds of people gathered here Friday at a remembrance event to mark the one-year anniversary of the Champlain Towers South collapse.

The event featured top speakers and attendees from across the aisle, including First Lady Jill Biden, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

The Champlain Towers South partially collapsed in the middle of the night in Surfside, killing 98 people.

A memorial displays the name of people who died in the Surfside condo collapse.Kimberly Leonard/Insider

Families and friends of the victims gathered for a remembrance ceremony on June 24, 2022

Hundreds of loved ones gathered in Surfside for a remembrance ceremony.Kimberly Leonard/Insider

First Lady Jill Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis each spoke at the ceremony

DeSantis unveiled details of the Surfside memorial

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis holds up a sign dedicated to the 98 people who lost their lives during a remembrance event at the site of the Champlain Towers South building collapse, Friday, June 24, 2022, in Surfside, Florida.Wilfredo Lee/AP Photo

The tragedy spurred new state laws

State Sen. Annette Taddeo at the Surfside memorial.Kimberly Leonard/Insider

Families and survivors are set to receive a $1 billion settlement

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a Republican, attended the Surfside remembrance ceremony.Kimberly Leonard/Insider

Next to the ceremony was the site of the collapse

Rubble where the Champlain Towers South once stood.Kimberly Leonard/Insider

The community celebrated and mourned the lives lost

Loved ones wrote notes to those that were lost on headstones outside the ceremony.Kimberly Leonard/Insider

Leaders urged people to come together

Beach outside the rubble from the Champlain Towers South in Surfside.Kimberly Leonard/Insider

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