Funds sought for memorial at PAAC to honor fallen officers
Goal is to raise $100,000 in a year
The Fraternal Order of Police, Yuma Lodge #24 is now raising money to construct a memorial Law Enforcement Monument to honor area officers who have died in the line of duty, and is asking the public for donations to help build it.
“We have the design and have gone through the City’s approval process, so now we are in the initial fundraising portion of the project,” said Sgt. Eric Egan, of the Yuma Police Department and Yuma Lodge president.
The monument will be built on the west side of the new Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex (PAAC) by the grass retention basin, just north of the lake. It will feature a 44-foot-long block wall, broken up into three sections, with the center portion made from corrugated metal that stands 11 feet high.
In the area in front of the monument there will be a statue, artificial turf, and a large gathering area covered in paving stones. There will also be a sidewalk that stretches from the parking lot all the way to memorial.
“We figured that the PAAC would be an awesome place for it due to the number of people who will see it,” Egan said.
There will also be 37 plaques on the block walls, which contain the names of the fallen officers, accompanied by the name of the agency they worked for and when they died — which is referred to as their end of watch date.
While he hopes to never have to add another one, Sgt. Egan explained that the block walls will be similar to the ones at the City of Yuma’s Armed Forces Park, so more plaques can be added if necessary.
While he has already received some donations for the memorial, Sgt. Egan says he will be mailing out donation pamphlets to area businesses. In total, about $100,000 is needed to construct the monument.
Ideally, the goal, according to Sgt. Egan, is to have the monument completed before May 15, 2019, so that it can be dedicated during the annual Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony at the Yuma Lodge.
“By the good graces of the Yuma area businesses and residents, I definitely think having it done by next year is doable,” Sgt. Egan said.
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 5396854. Find him on Facebook at www. Facebook.com/YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @YSJamesGilbert.