ST. MARYS — The St. Marys community showed up by the hundreds Tuesday to hold a candlelight service in memory and celebration of 9-year-old Hannah Pistner, a fourth-grade student at South St. Marys Street Elementary School who died unexpectedly Saturday.

The vigil was held at Shawmut Park, formerly the Downtown Event Park, and organized by St. Marys Ambulance Service.

Hannah, who collapsed at school on Friday, died of a cerebral brain bleed after being transported to UPMC Children’s Hospital. She was the daughter of Sgt. Anthony Pistner with the City of St. Marys Police Department and Sarah Caskey Pistner, according to her obituary.

Jamie Gillen, an EMT with St. Marys Ambulance Service, said emergency personnel, whether it be ambulance, police or fire, work together as a family.

“We live in a small community and work close together all of the time,” she said. “We know each other’s families. When something like this happens, we are there for each other.”

Sgt. Pistner was also the first person who responded to the scene that afternoon, not knowing it was his own child in a medical emergency.

“That is so heartbreaking in itself,” said Gillen.

St. Marys Ambulance Service personnel who also responded to the emergency call that day at SSMSES were aiming to come up with an initiative to honor Hannah and support her family, Gillen said.

“She is a little girl who went to school on Friday and didn’t get to come home,” she said. “And also, the Pistner family is a huge part of this community and our EMS family.”

From there, the plan for a candlelight vigil was in the works. Everyone with the City of St. Marys, and the Pistner family, confirmed that this was an amazing idea, Gillen said.

“We wanted her friends, classmates and teachers to be able to talk about Hannah and share their memories,” she noted.

The downtown park was packed full of local supporters. In the center sat a table lined with candles featuring Hannah’s picture. Emergency personnel vehicles also lined Depot Street throughout the vigil.

St. Marys City Manager Joe Fleming was one of the speakers.

“The spirit of a candlelight vigil is to bring light to people as each candle brightens our hearts as we share experiences and memories of the loved ones we have lost,” Fleming said. “St. Marys is a very resilient, strong and compassionate community, as witnessed by all of you who are here this evening. It never surprises me to see the amount of support our community gives as we come together during a tragedy.

“It’s who we are. We shall hold our own children a little longer, a little tighter, as we count each day as a blessing, because tomorrow is never guaranteed.”

City of St. Marys Police Department Chief Tom Nicklas spoke about knowing Sgt. Pistner for 17 years.

“One of the things that struck me about Anthony is that whenever another officer needed a voice, Anthony would be the one to stick his head into my office to talk to me about it. It was heartbreaking to witness Anthony respond to one of the worst calls for service imaginable for a police officer, or any other responder to have to deal with. I want to thank everyone here for your overwhelming support for the Pistner family.”

Assistant superintendent of schools and former principal of South St. Marys Street School Christine Kuhar expressed her gratitude for the privilege of knowing Hannah and her siblings, Lucas and Haley.

“Thank you, sweet girl, for touching us with your life, for sharing your smile, for loving school, for being a great friend and a silly girl, and for just being your special self,” said Kuhar. “Thank you for giving us what time you had. If we can learn from Hannah’s example to smile, shine your light, put others first, be playful, then we are truly celebrating Hannah’s life.”

Candles were then lit from one person to the next, until the event park behind the parking garage was aglow with lights of remembrance for Hannah Rose Pistner.

In addition, an online “Meal Train” fundraiser was started for the Pistner family, having already raised $134,020 of its $100,000 goal. For more information, visit www.mealtrain.com/trains/vg930y