SAN ANTONIO — The community gathered this weekend to celebrate the life of 19-year-old Camila Mendoza Olmos.

The search for Camila, who was last seen alive on Christmas Eve, ended tragically with the discovery of her remains this week.

The Youth Peace and Justice Foundation will hold a memorial and celebration of life on Saturday at Wildhorse Sports Park located at 9779 Mustang Farm.

From 5 to 8 p.m. the community gathering and prayer will be held as well as a balloon release at 6 p.m.

RELATED: Camila Mendoza Olmos honored with national gun violence memorial

The Foundation is announcing a collaborative fundraising effort organized in direct partnership with Camila’s father to oversee funeral and related expenses.

In addition, the Foundation will permanently honor Camila through its national Trees for Peace Youth Gun Violence Memorial. A memorial tree will be planted in her name within the Davy Crockett National Forest in Texas.

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You can donate directly to the Camila Olmos Memorial Fund here.

As the full moon rose over Camila Mendoza Olmos’ neighborhood Saturday night, hundreds of loved ones and supporters gathered in a nearby field, lighting candles in memory of the 19-year-old.

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Family members and search and rescue organizations held a vigil Saturday evening at the Wildhorse HOA Sports Park to honor the life of Mendoza, who went missing from her Northwest Bexar County home on Christmas Eve. She was found to have died by suicide after a weeklong search that captured national attention.

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Attendees dressed in yellow, Mendoza’s favorite color, prayed a blessing over the family led by Ramin Gibbs, youth minister at Oak Hills Church. He said that about five months before her death, the teen had attended the church and pledged her life to Christianity.

“Even though Cami was small in stature, she had a big impact in the life of those that she knew,” Gibbs said. “When those who knew Cami best describe her, they talk about how caring she was, about how she loved others without holding back.”

At the time of her death, Mendoza was studying at Northwest Vista College in hopes of becoming an orthodontist. She was born in Mexico and held dual citizenship in Mexico and the United States. She lived in California until about 6, when her family moved to San Antonio.

Her parents, who are separated but both live in the neighborhood, stood before the supporters gathered Saturday and released a rosary made of balloons into the air. Attendees followed, sending dozens of balloons drifting into the sunset.

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Loved ones who sat before a stage adorned with an altar of flowers and candles embraced tightly as the crowd watched the balloons float away and sang along softly to worship music.

READ MORE:Local mental health group sees calls increase following Camila Mendoza’s death

Mendoza’s father then took the stage and shared a statement from the family, thanking those who searched for his daughter.

“The outpouring of love and support from our community and beyond has carried us through our darkest moments, reminding us that compassion and unity still exist even in profound sorrow,” Alfonso Mendoza said. “As we grieve this tragic loss, our hope is that Camila’s story can serve as a reminder to anyone who may be hurting or feeling alone that there is always another way.”

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Rosario Olmos, Mendoza’s mother, said in a tearful speech in Spanish that there were “no words” to describe the loss of her daughter. She said that although she had unfulfilled dreams for her daughter, she would cherish the 19 years she had with her.

The teen’s half sister, who shares a father with her, told the crowd gathered that Mendoza had helped her survive her own struggle with depression. What pulled her through, she said, was Mendoza telling her that she always wanted to be an aunt to her future child.

Camila Estrella, the teen’s friend of a decade, said she planned to dedicate her future achievements to Mendoza, whom she said always encouraged her friends to reach their goals.

“You are more than our best friend. You are our safe place and our laughter on hard days, and the person who knew me in ways no one else ever will,” she said.

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Also in attendance was Priest Holmes, former Kansas City Chiefs running back and San Antonio native. He has lived in Mendoza’s neighborhood for over twenty years and made a brief statement to express his condolences.

Survivors of Loved Ones’ Suicides, a local support group for adults who have lost loved ones to suicide, set up a table at the vigil to provide resources for those dealing with mental health struggles and grief. Staff referred minors needing support to the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas.

The Youth Peace and Justice Foundation is offering mental health and crisis support services in Mendoza’s memory for anyone in the San Antonio area. The organization operates a 24-hour peer and professional support team at 254-499-8027.

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