Thousands flock to stadium ahead of Charlie Kirk memorial in Arizona

Tens of thousands expected at az arena for Charlie Kirk remembrance today

Tens of thousands expected at Arizona stadium for Charlie Kirk memorial today

Charlie Kirk's public memorial expected to draw more than 100,000 in Phoenix

The service is open to the public, but it’s first come, first served. It’s not a ticketed event, but Turning Point asked people to register online. The stadium can hold up to 73,000 people and organizers are prepared for it to fill up. Overflow will go next door to Desert Diamond Arena, about a five-minute walk from the stadium.

As for the dress code, attendees will wear their “Sunday Best” in red, white, or blue.

Erika Kirk, Charlie's widow, was unanimously elected as Turning Point USA CEO and board chair, replacing her late husband, the organization's board announced Thursday.

Erika Kirk has vowed to continue the group’s mission. She said during an emotional broadcast from her husband’s studio that a planned campus tour this fall would go on, as would the podcast and one of the group’s marquee events — “AmericaFest” — planned for December at the Phoenix Convention Center, according to The Associated Press.

She said during her remarks that “the movement my husband built will not die.”

“I promise I’ll make Turning Point USA the biggest thing that this nation has ever seen,” she said.

Charlie Kirk also had close family ties to Arizona. His widow and mother of their two children, Erika Kirk, grew up there and graduated from Arizona State University. She was also Miss Arizona USA in 2012. The two were married in 2021.

Glendale is near the home of Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix, Ariz. It's also where the group has held its annual convention, AmericaFest, since 2021.

Turning Point USA and its affiliated group, Turning Point Action, played a crucial role in the 2024 election, helping to turn out voters who don’t typically cast ballots in swing states including Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin, according to The Associated Press.

In 2020, Joe Biden won the state — which had voted Republican in presidential elections since Bill Clinton's second term in 1996. The only other Democratic presidential candidate the state voted for was Harry Truman in 1948. When it comes to state governors, though, the state has gone back and forth between Democrat and Republican through the years.

Its current governor is Katie Hobbs, a Democrat elected in January 2023.

Charlie Kirk was born Oct. 14, 1993, and grew up in Chicago suburbs Arlington Heights and Prospect Heights. Kirk became a student political activist and co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 with the aim of rallying the youth conservative movement, as well as the Chrisitan right. He attracted hefty investment from conservative donors and, soon, the attention of the Republican Party.

That has drawn backlash from conservatives who view the criticism as cherry-picking a few moments to insult the legacy of someone they see as an inspirational conservative leader, according to The Associated Press.

Kirk was killed by a single bullet Sept. 10 while speaking to a crowd gathered to see him at Utah Valley University. It was the first stop on what was to be a tour of 20 universities across the country.

Good morning, we are covering the memorial service for Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and commentator who was shot dead at a Utah university campus on Sept. 10. He was 31 years old.

The event, "Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk," is being held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. It is hosted by Arizona-based Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk co-founded to mobilize young, Christian conservatives.

Thousands are expected to attend, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, U.S. Secretary of state Marco Rubio, and many other prominent politicians.

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