PARKLAND, Fla. — The Parkland 17 Memorial announced plans to build an official public memorial to honor the lives of the 17 killed five years ago in the February 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The proposed memorial would be open to the public to provide a place to remember and reflect on those who were killed in 2018. The families of the 17 who died are "steadfast in their desire" to have a public memorial built, a news release from the Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation said.
Vice Chairman and father of Gina Montalto who was killed that horrific day, Tony Montalto, is also the family liaison who keeps other victims' families updated on the steps being taken in creating 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 in a news release.
Proposals for the design of the public memorial were reviewed by the victims' families and evaluated by the foundation's board. The public will be able to provide input through the foundation's website at a later date in 2023.
Fundraising is underway for the public memorial. While the specific location has not been announced, it will be located within a large, quiet preserve currently being constructed, the foundation said.
Those who wish to donate to the Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation can do so through www.Parkland17.org.
Parkland school shooter Nicholas Cruz was sentenced to life in prison without parole back in November 2022. Families of the 17 killed and the additional 17 who were wounded were able to address him face to face, letting out grief and anger, just days before the sentencing.
