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Coral Springs Improvement District Honor School Shooting Victims with Memorial Park

by Guest Contributor May 10, 2018

by Guest Contributor May 10, 2018 16 views

Coral Springs Improvement District Honor School Shooting Victims with Memorial Park

New Marjory Stoneman Douglas Memorial Park. Photo by Brianne Merchant.

Update: this event has been postponed.

By: Brianne Merchant

Hoping it will become a place of serenity and meditation, a Coral Springs park will be renamed to honor those tragically killed after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting.

In April, the Coral Springs Improvement District (CSID) adopted a resolution to officially rename a passive park located at Southwest 120th Ave to Marjory Stoneman Douglas Memorial Park.

In a ceremony funded by the CSID, a dedication will be held at the park to formally honor the students and staff who lost their lives as well as all who were affected by the recent school shooting.

“We would like to invite the entire community to come out and share with us in this dedication of those who lost their lives and in remembrance of the fact that we as a community must stand together against any such violence as this,” said Duane Holland, vice president of the board of supervisors for the CSID.

According to Marty Shank, president of the board of supervisors for the CSID, the reason behind renaming is to have a place for meditation and serenity for residents to visit and think about the loss, and for them to gain peace alongside the community.

Currently, the park serves as a passive recreation area without any amenities. However, the preliminary plans include constructing a semi-circular garden to honor each one of the 17 victims. Additionally, the employees of CSID want to work with students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to receive feedback on the memorial’s final design.

The entire community of Coral Springs and Parkland are invited to attend the naming and ground-breaking ceremony held at the new Marjory Stoneman Douglas Memorial Park on ~~Friday, June 1, beginning at 6:00 p.m. with the participation of the MSD Alumni Choir.~~ The park is located at 199 Southwest 120^thAvenue. Access to the site is through Atlantic Boulevard and 121st Terrace.