MARION, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—Plans are “taking root” to build a Memorial Garden in the city to honor residents who have lost their lives due to violent crimes.
The project, which is being spearheaded by the Marion Victim Assistance Program, calls for creating the Marion Memorial Garden on property north of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, 100 Executive Drive.
A place of solitude. A place of healing. A symbol of hope for friends and families of the victims.
“They need support,” said Courtney Rittenour, director of the Victim Assistance Program, and brainchild of the memorial garden. “In my head I wanted to give them a place where it’s not a cemetery that they can go to and remember their loved ones.”
A fountain/sculpture will be the memorial’s centerpiece, and the paved patio will have benches for visitors, Rittenour said. With permission from family members, the names of homicide victims will also be inscribed on the fountain’s stained-glass water droplets.
Rittenour said she came up with the idea two years ago and approached Amanda Adkins, who chairs the Friends of Victim Assistance organization. A committee was formed in January to formulate a plan and drum up financial support for the $70,000 project.
The organization is hosting a fundraiser – “Love Your Neighbor” – on Saturday, June 29, from 3 to 10 p.m. at the Shovel City Drinkery. A cornhole tournament, 50-50 raffle, and a silent auction are on tap, along with food trucks and live entertainment by 50 Steps Up at 7 p.m.
“Love Your Neighbor” should be a fun-filled event for the community, Adkins said. “We’re hoping it draws more attention to our fund-raising needs, just to get the idea out there in the community.”
Rittenour’s husband, Ken Rittenour, said he pitched the idea to the committee after a mailing campaign in February raised about $35,000. “My goal is to pack the house, obviously. If we can make it happen it will be the first that we know of in the state of Ohio.”
Rittenour said auction items include Cleveland Guardians tickets and autographed memorabilia by the Cavaliers and Browns. A trip to St. Lucia will also be raffled off, with tickets at $20. The silent auction and raffle end at 9 p.m., he said, with the drawing at 9:30.
The rendering for the memorial garden was done by Layne Meadows, owner of Meadows Outdoor Living, LLC. It will be accessed from the parking lot by a long walkway, with trees and shrubs surrounding the outdoor space. A grand opening is slated for September.
“The goal for this memorial is to create a place of healing, not just for the victims’ families but for the community,” Adkins said. “The cost of violence affects way more people in the community than people realize.”