The August 4th memorial was dedicated Sunday, the fifth anniversary of the Oregon District mass shooting.
Also known as the "Seed of Life," it memorializes the nine people killed and 17 injured on Aug. 4, 2019.
The memorial contains multiple components, including a stainless steel sculpture of nine leaves and a unity bench. But the most notable component might be the multi-colored mosaic. An estimated 5,000 people contributed to putting tiles in it.
Hundreds of people came to see the finished memorial on Sunday, including family and friends of the victims.
Lasandra James lost her daughter, Lois Oglesby, in the shooting. Oglesby had two children when she was killed. James said now the family has a place to go to share Oglesby’s memory.
“We don't have to take (them) to a place in front of a bar where she laid. We can bring (them) here and talk about what happened and reflect and heal. And that’s the whole point,” James said.
The memorial has been in the works since 2020. James Pate is on the “Seed of Life” artist team. He said he hopes it serves as space to remember the lives lost — and as a space of reflection and expression.
“It's a challenge to merge or bridge something sorrowful with something uplifting. So we decided that we would use color and symbolism that represent hope and inspire a sense of togetherness,” Pate said.
The event also included a release of doves, live music and comments from city and county leaders.
Sierra Leone, another member of the “Seed of Life” artist team, shared her poem “Remember the Seed,” at the dedication.
“Sunlight shines on a mosaic of gnarled and supple hands, tilling the soil of sorrow and solace, sowing the enduring seed of life,” Leone said during her poem recitation.
The memorial is on display at 530 E. Fifth St., next to the Trolley Stop — less than 500 feet from where the shooting took place.
