A new memorial is set to be dedicated at the beginning of April for Christina-Taylor Green, the young girl who was born on September 11th, 2001 -- and killed in the January 8th shooting in 2011 that injured Gabrielle Giffords and several others in Tucson. It is being constructed at the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial River Park on Tucson's northwest side.
The new memorial has a statue of a boy and a girl as the centerpiece, which will be surrounded by nearly 2,000 colorful plants and flowers when it is completed. The words "love" and "hope" inscribed on the statue, which is representative of Christina-Taylor and her brother Dallas.
"The Greens wanted a place where people could just contemplate whether it's a tragedy of their own, or just a place to relax and enjoy this space," project designer Sandra Bolduc said.
Bolduc explained this location is the perfect place for the memorial, because it's close to where the family lives, and the park was one of Christina-Taylor's favorite places to visit.
Though the statue is the center piece of the memorial, Bolduc thinks the focal point is another part of the area: a butterfly sculpture, perched on a piece of concrete looking down at the rest of the park.
"This is, in a way," she said. "The heart of the project, from the point of view of who Christina is."
That's because the young girl loved butterflies. At the memorial entrance, there is a placard with her story, accompanied by a drawing of a butterfly she made as a child. The butterfly sculpture that overlooks the rest of the memorial -- nearly an exact replica of her drawing.
"That is so close a replica of her drawing, it's astonishing really," Bolduc said. "It's not meant to be this amazing, artistic statement -- it's her. It's her heart."
The dedication of the new memorial is set for April 2nd at 1:00 -- at the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial River Park.
