Mar 16 2022
Ella Cabrera | The Spectrum
St. George will soon have its own Gold Stars Families Memorial Monument near the Historic Town Square by the end of March, the city said Wednesday.
The Gold Star Families Foundation is a nationwide organization that recognizes military families and their lost loved ones.
Two non-profit organizations, The Woody Williams Foundation and the Major Brent Taylor Foundation, along with elected officials and private citizens raised $100,000 for the monument according to a City of St. George press release.
“This monument is a sign of commitment, love, and gratitude from our community to our Gold Star Families,” said St. George Mayor Michele Randall. “It is a promise that we will always remember the price their loved ones paid and never ignore the heartbreak Gold Star Families endure.”
Ground was broken on the memorial last May with an original fundraising goal of $58,000 and a completion goal of last Veteran's Day.
The St. George Gold Star Families Memorial Monument is expected to be part of several monuments being built across the nation.
Former Mayor John Pike began the project with a committee specifically for this project, as well as including two local Gold Star Families are taking part in the planning.
Jennie Taylor, founder of the Major Brent Taylor Foundation, has worked closely with the committee in St. George to give insight into the project.
“It's in the middle of town where hundreds of people go daily. This is a monument for everyone to see,” Taylor said.
The dedication for the memorial will be held on March 26 at 11 a.m. on the west end of Historic Downtown Square. The event is free and open to the public.
“We hope this will inspire people to talk about the price of freedom, and the responsibility we all have as beneficiaries of those freedoms,” Randall added. “It reminds us that some gave all and that it is our solemn duty to honor their sacrifices by lifting our community every chance we get.”