Friends and family of Eli Wood are trying to keep the Wilfrid Laurier University student top of mind, almost 11 months after a devastating fire. Flames ripped through Wood’s Kitchener home on Oct. 19. He was last seen the day before. A gathering in Uptown Waterloo Square hosted by Please Bring Me Home, a charitable organization that helps search for missing people across the country, was scheduled for Thursday evening. The event ran from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and featured speakers, stories from loved ones and a candlelight ceremony. Continuing to hold out hope Waterloo Regional Police previously said arson and foul play may be involved in the house fire and disappearance. The investigation is still active, but police have not released any new details. Wood’s disappearance has gained national attention with many people conducting ground searches in hopes of finding him. In July, classmates of Wood asked the university to formally recognize a community garden created in his honour. - With files from Hannah Schmidt and Jennifer Baker
