Fundraising is officially underway for a memorial to honor the 17 victims of the Parkland school shooting in February 2018.
The Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation announced Wednesday that they plan to build and maintain an official public memorial for the 17 victims who died in the mass shooting.
The announcement comes just one month before the fifth anniversary of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that claimed the lives of 17 students and staff, and left 17 others wounded.
The memorial is set be located within a large quiet, serene preserve that is currently under construction and will be open to the public as a place to remember and reflect the souls who were taken from their families and their community too soon:
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Alyssa Alhadeff
Scott Beigel
Martin Duque Anguiano
Nicholas Dworet
Aaron Feis
Jamie Guttenberg
Chris Hixon
Luke Hoyer
Cara Loughran
Gina Montalto
Joaquin Oliver
Alaina Petty
Meadow Pollack
Helena Ramsay
Alex Schachter
Carmen Schentrup
Peter Wang
Tony Montalto, father of Gina Montalto, is vice chairman of the Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation and the family liaison who keeps the other victims’ families updated on the progress of the memorial.
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The families are advised of the steps in the process and have direct input regarding the creation of the memorial.
“This foundation was established to build the official public memorial to the victims of the Parkland massacre to ensure they are forever remembered as the people they were, as innocent children with vibrant, bright futures ahead of them – educators and coaches who gave so much of themselves to their students,” Montalto said.
The board of the foundation is comprised of representatives of the families of the victims, residents and government officials of both Parkland and Coral Springs, who were appointed or requested.
“We anticipate that kind and compassionate donors will find it in their hearts to donate to this Memorial to forever remember these beautiful souls murdered on February 14, 2018, tragically taken from their families, friends and the world much too soon,” said Chair Michael Moser.
The Parkland 17 is looking for artists to submit conceptual design proposals that would blend into the natural environment. Click here for more information and an application.
