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• EL PASO CRIME VICTIMS’ MEMORIAL READING GARDEN AND PAVILION

EL PASO CRIME VICTIMS’ MEMORIAL READING GARDEN AND PAVILION

The dedication of the Crime Victims’ Memorial Reading Garden is now over, and the work of maintaining this beautiful park and the Memorial begins.

Hopefully you were able to make it out to the dedication. Family and friends of those who died as a result of violent crime, drunk driving and peace officers killed in the line of duty now have a place to visit and remember their loved ones. Tears of joy and sorrow marked the occasion. Many who attended shared their stories of loss and pain with others, and this truly is what we hoped to achieve by this Memorial. We want visitors to reflect on their own decisions before engaging in violent behavior or drinking and driving. The Crime Victims’ Memorial Reading Garden and the Memorial pavilion designed by artist Ken Bernstein will serve as a place where we may remember our lost friends and loved ones in quite reflection. Thanks to all of you who worked so hard over the years to plan, raise funds, raise awareness of crime victims’ services and the Memorial project, and for taking the time and effort to volunteer on this project. We are helping to rebuild lives of the survivors and keeping those who died in our hearts!

Special thanks to Frank Zubia for serving as the event chair; Allen Hains and the family of Donna Villareal-Ruiz for installing the bench plaques and helping clean up the park; support of the district attorney’s office staff and all the Council members who helped with registration and T-Shirts; to the Victory Warriors for tablecloths, wreath laying and performance; soldiers from Fort Bliss and the 3/43rd for providing set up, music, and volunteering on site as needed; the Bel Air High School Pipes & Drums for their performance; the Road Dogs MC for help with disabled parking; EPCC food service; and many, many more of you who helped make this event a great success!

Congratulations to Stephen Enders, director of West Texas Community Supervision and Corrections Department (Adult Probation) and City representative Steve Ortega for being the first recipients of the “Donna Villareal-Ruiz Memorial Award.” Steve Enders helped the Council raise over $52,000 for the project through a program where probationers could pay into a fund for this project in lieu of community service, with the courts permission. Representative Steve Ortega’s leadership combined various city departments, the Crime Victims’ Rights Council, Yucca Neighborhood Association, and community donors to plan and develop this Crime Victims’ Memorial Reading Garden as his community development program. They truly helped make our dream a reality!

Donna was a founding Crime Victims’ Rights Council member who died last year after complications from surgery. This project was her dream and she worked tirelessly to keep us focused on advocating for crime victims and making this project a reality. Her spirit was with us at yesterday’s event.

If you have not yet visited the Crime Victims’ Memorial Reading Garden, please do so as it is really a special place of help, hope and healing! Please visit the Photo Gallery for a photo of this event.