The submission window for new names at the Youth Grove — the installment at Central Park that memorializes local youths killed in traffic collisions — has opened for this year, according to city officials.
Those eligible to be added to the Youth Grove must have been 24 years old or younger when they died, and must have lived in the Santa Clarita Valley or attended a local school.
The deadline to submit release forms is July 31 so they can be read at the 2022 Evening of Remembrance Event, which is slated to be held on Sept. 21.
“The half-acre Youth Grove in Central Park is a public memorial that began as a grassroots effort and is supported by the city of Santa Clarita,” read a statement about the submission window from the city of Santa Clarita. “It is dedicated to raising awareness about safe and responsible driving and offers a place for reflection on the tragic consequences that can result from drinking and driving, as well as reckless and distracted driving.”
Currently, the Youth Grove has 116 individual pillars shaped as cut tree stumps to signify young lives cut short in traffic-related incidents and each pillar has a plaque bearing the name of a young life lost.
“The pillars surround a central monument urging the community to ‘Know More’ about safe driving habits and to pledge that ‘No More’ young lives will be lost behind the wheel,” read a city statement.
For more information on the Youth Grove and to obtain a release form, visit santa-clarita.com/YouthGrove or contact Gabby Vera at 661-250-3708 or [email protected].
