Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation Unveils Design for Public Memorial

Announcement comes in advance of the solemn seven-year remembrance ceremony of 2018 Florida tragedy

PARKLAND, FL, UNITED STATES, February 4, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The official public Memorial to honor the 17 victims who were taken from their families and our community on February 14, 2018 in the Parkland school massacre moved one step closer with the selection of Artist Gordon Huether’s design.

The Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)(3) Florida not-for-profit corporation, has been overseeing the nationwide design competition for the public memorial. Huether, of Gordon Huether Studio in Napa, California, was selected from six finalists. Each of the finalists were reviewed and evaluated by the Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation board and the public provided input through an online survey. The families of the victims were advised of the steps in the design process and provided their input.

Said Gordon Huether, “We are deeply humbled and honored to have been selected to create the memorial for the victims of the Parkland school shooting. We believe this memorial will be a place where friends, families and the community can come together to honor and remember those lives taken in this senseless tragedy.”

This memorial is not only inspired by love for the victims, their families and the Parkland community but is also inspired by the beautiful site on which the memorial is planned to be located.

Huether’s design is based on concentric circles with a central fountain and seating, surrounded by 17 limestone obelisks approximately 12 feet high, providing a tribute to each victim: Alyssa Alhadeff, Scott Beigel, Martin Duque Anguiano, Nicholas Dworet, Aaron Feis, Jaime Guttenberg, Chris Hixon, Luke Hoyer, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Joaquin Oliver, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pollack, Helena Ramsay, Alex Schachter, Carmen Schentrup and Peter Wang. These forms hold each victim’s name and other information about these beloved sons, daughters and husbands whose lives were tragically cut short. A poem “But for a Small Moment” is planned to be engraved into the surface of the plaza. Shade structures have been added to shield visitors from the sun and feature laser cutouts that create unique shadows as the sun moves throughout the day. To complete the circular theme, 17 royal palm trees will be planted along an outer seating wall forming the border of the Memorial.

“Our decision was not an easy one, so many of the designs submitted really captured the essence of what this Memorial should represent,” said Vice Chairman of the Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation Tony Montalto, father of Gina Montalto and liaison to the victims’ families. “The public input is very much appreciated. Now we move on to the fundraising and construction stage so we can have a public place to remember and reflect on those who were taken far too soon from our families and our community.”

Fundraising is currently underway at https://parkland17.org/donate/ for the Memorial, which will be located within a quiet, serene 150-acre preserve that borders Coral Springs and Parkland to unite the two affected communities.

“It is absolutely imperative that we honor those lost on that tragic day,” said Foundation Chair Michael Moser, First Responder Representative. “We hope that as we come together again on February 14 to remember those who perished so tragically seven years ago, our community can also find it in our hearts to continue to support these families and help the community heal by making a donation to the Memorial.”

Corporations, businesses, foundations and the public can make tax exempt donations to help build the Memorial at www.Parkland17.org.

Follow @Parkland_17 on X (Twitter) and Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation on Facebook.

Renderings of the Memorial (Image credit: Gordon Huether Studio) are available at https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/z2566jb3mtfdqt5nbjyel/ADKqZQDBncpO4v2NirQqqtU?rlkey=w7nv5gp79rnkqx5nr38cwqzpa&st=l3ikdkgf&dl=0

About Gordon Huether Studio
Gordon Huether is a Napa, CA-based artist specializing in large-scale, site-specific permanent art installations. With hundreds of works across a decades-long career, Huether's most complex commission to date is the seven architecturally integrated installations for the Salt Lake City International Airport, completing in stages from 2020 to 2024. For more information, visit us at www.gordonhuether.com.

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