Annual memorial set for Wednesday
The names of 105 Santa Clarita Valley youth who lost their lives in autorelated incidents were honored during last year’s Evening of Remembrance event.
This year, two more names will be added, and the city of Santa Clarita is encouraging the public to help raise awareness and prevent the list from growing.
“The annual Evening of Remembrance is an important reminder of the dangers of reckless and distracted driving,” said Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste. “I encourage all parents with teens to attend this event with their children. It shows the true danger and tragedy that can come as the result of reckless driving, and brings the community together so we can help protect the ones we love.”
The event Wednesday is scheduled to begin with a walk at 7 p.m. at the Youth Grove, followed by the ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on an adjacent field at Central Park, located at 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road.
The Youth Grove is a memorial, supported by the city and the Santa Clarita Blue Ribbon Task Force made up of tree stumps with plaques containing the names of the youth. The collection provides a “safe and centralized location for young people and community members to mourn” and “raise awareness about safe driving habits to prevent future traffic-related deaths,” as stated in the Youth Grove website.
Among the names of those on the tree stumps are brothers Daniel Richard Renolds and Timothy Lee Renolds, who passed away more than 18 years ago, along with two other teen passengers due to high-speed driving by the driver, who was also a teen at the time.
The brothers’ parents, Alice and Tom Renolds, who are part of the Blue Ribbon Task Force, helped start the Evening of Remembrance about 10 years ago. The couple is also known for speaking out about the dangers of reckless driving at school events and even Youth Court.
For additional information about the Evening of Remembrance and Walk of Remembrance, contact Tess Simgen at 661-250-3726.