Bagpiper George Pulkkinen is illuminated by police lights as he leads a procession up Preble Street in Portland on Friday, Dec. 20, to honor 21 homeless men and women who died during the past year. The Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil, which is sponsored by the city Health and Human Services Department, Mercy Hospital, and Preble Street Resource Center, is held each year on the winter solstice – the longest night of the year. After the march, a candle-lighting ceremony was conducted beneath the Christmas tree in Monument Square.