“Evening of Remembrance” brought Santa Clarita’s Council officials, law enforcement and the community together at the Youth Grove Wednesday night.

The “Evening of Remembrance” is organized to honor the 107 young Santa Clarita residents who have died in traffic-related incidents.

The Youth Grove at Central Park contains 107 individual pillars – a small tree trunk displaying a plaque with the name of a young person who died – symbolizing their life being cut short.

“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,” said Mayor Laurene Weste in a press release.

Santa Clarita Sheriff Captain Robert Lewis commenced the gathering by asking the attendees to bow their heads for a moment of silence for those who have lost their lives.

“The annual ‘Evening of Remembrance’ is an important reminder of the dangers of reckless and distracted driving,” said Mayor Weste.

Two mothers who lost their children in traffic-related accidents, Stephanie Hoffman and Maria Corona, expressed their appreciation for the yearly memorial organized by the city.

“(This event) means to keep their memory alive, to not forget about them and to bring those memories, knowing that other people are going through the same, same sad situation,” said Maria Corona. “You just learn to go on with your life, faking that you’re happy, but you’re not.”

“We are here to raise awareness and to vow that we will do everything in our power so that there will be no more names added to the Youth Grove,” said Mayor Weste during her speech at the ceremony.   

At the end of the event, CHP officer Joshua Greengard wanted to remind drivers to be careful and vigilant.

“Always slow down, always pay attention to the roadways, pay attention to what you’re doing, pay attention to what other people are doing, put your cell phones down, don’t speed,” said Joshua Greengard, public information officer for the Newhall CHP office. “Mind the speeding limits, and obviously do not drink and drive. Do not have any sort of drugs or prescription drugs in your system. Please, only focus on driving.”

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