DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Grieving family members and friends gathered in several cities today to remember those who died in the Alaska Airlines crash. A service for all 88 victims begins about an hour from now in Malibu, California. And CNN's Charles Feldman is covering the story in Malibu -- Charles.</s>CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Donna, as important as it is going to be to find out what made Alaska Airlines Flight 261 plunge into the Pacific, today, though, is a day equally important to the remaining family and friends and loved ones of those who perished on board that Ill-fated flight. It is a day, if you will, of closure, a day for an official memorial here at Pepperdine University on Malibu overlooking the Pacific Ocean. About 20 miles out, the final resting place for Alaska Airlines' MD-83. At the ceremony, which is set to begin in about an hour from now, there are going to be, as I said, family and friends and many people who worked at Alaska Airlines and a lot officials. One official speaker is the governor of the state of California, Governor Gray Davis. Also expected in attendance inspect would be the transportation secretary, as well as the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency that writes all the rules and regulations that govern the airlines. At this ceremony, and at the end of this ceremony, each and every participant -- about 800 in all are expected to be here today -- each one is going to be given a flower. And what's going to happen is at the end of the ceremony, those flowers are going to be collected. The United States Coast Guard plans to take them all out to sea, and then later today to dump those flowers at the site where Alaska Airlines Flight 261 went down. We will be here for that ceremony. Until then, Charles Feldman, CNN, reporting live from Malibu, California.</s>KELLEY: All right, Charles, thanks. We'll see you shortly.
Pepperdine Hosts Alaska Air Memorial Service