EAST PALESTINE — The Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment — a grassroots group with representatives from all communities impacted by the Feb. 3 rail disaster — will commemorate the one-year anniversary of the rail disaster with a “Together in Unity” event.

The event, which is billed as an “evening of art, music, light refreshments, testimony and a ritual of remembrance,” will be held Feb. 3 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at McKim’s Honeyvine and Winery. The night’s activities include a live painting by Emily Armstrong, a digital projection by Aaron Henderson and a variety of individuals to take groups through rituals with themes of grief, remembrance and unity.

“We wanted to create a safe space for residents to reflect, grieve and celebrate. No matter how you look at it, our lives have changed in this past year,” Unity Council Vice President Hilary Flint said. “Let’s get together and talk about that. We can’t build community if we don’t attempt to share spaces with each other. Sometimes we do that virtually, but on this day I wanted to do something extra special.”

The idea is to remember and reminisce, but it is also a chance to regroup and demand what the Unity Council insists is still needed in East Palestine. Health monitoring is at the top of the list, as is additional indoor air testing and a Presidential Declaration of Disaster from Joe Biden.

“Our communities need to know that the Biden Administration cares about us,” Christina Siceloff, a member of the Unity Council, said. “That they aren’t just focused on foreign aid and big business. We need to know that President Biden cares about the little people.”

Aside from a disaster declaration, the Unity Council has also called on the enactment of Social Security Act 1881A, which promises free Medicare to environmental hazard victims, as communities impacted by the disaster continue to navigate the unknown. Following the derailment and chemical release, some residents have reported persistent nosebleeds, headaches, rashes, eye irritation and respiratory and digestive difficulties.

“We’ve learned from past disasters that health issues can show up months, or even years, later,” said the Unity Council’s Sherri Mackenstein. “It’s paramount that the Biden Administration puts some safeguards in place to ensure no resident has to foot the bill in the name of corporate greed.”

Despite some in the village wanting to put the disaster behind them, Flint, who is a renal cell cancer survivor, said others are still struggling with the residual effects of the derailment nearly 12 months out. The Unity Council’s main objective, she said, remains to raise awareness and spur action.

“One thing that makes us a little different from other advocacy groups is that each person on the Unity Council has lived a complex life. We’ve been through some things. We’ve seen some stuff. We have thick skin,” she said. “I personally just try to focus on what’s important — helping people. I can ignore the criticism but what I can’t do is sit back and ignore the people in need.”

Fellow Unity Council board member Tamara Freeze said the group’s focus transcends the disaster.

“We continue to advocate because we believe in transparency and until we achieve that, we won’t stop,” she added. “Our journey started in East Palestine, but we plan to advocate for any community that needs us moving forward.”