News Summary
The community in Las Vegas is moving forward with plans for the ‘Forever One’ memorial to honor the 58 victims of the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival shooting. Scheduled construction on the site will start in March 2025, but fundraising efforts aim to raise $45 million by the tragedy’s ten-year anniversary. The memorial will feature 58 illuminated butterflies representing each victim and other symbolic elements reflective of unity and resilience, emphasizing community support in commemorating lives lost in the tragedy.
Las Vegas – Plans for the “Forever One” memorial, intended to honor the victims of the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival shooting, are moving forward as the community seeks support ahead of the ten-year anniversary of the tragedy. The shooting, which occurred on October 1, 2017, resulted in the deaths of 58 individuals and left over 450 others injured. Currently, construction on the memorial site has not commenced, but it is slated to begin in March 2025, following recent announcements.
The memorial will occupy a two-acre lot donated by MGM Resorts International located at the intersection of Reno and Giles Streets. While Clark County has pledged to cover the administrative costs associated with the memorial, funding for construction will rely entirely on donations from the community. As part of these efforts, the Vegas Strong Fund aims to raise $45 million by the tenth anniversary of the shooting on October 1, 2027.
The design of the “Forever One” memorial, developed by JCJ Architecture, will include significant symbolic features such as 58 illuminated butterflies, representing each victim, along with 22 vertical stakes symbolizing the estimated 22,000 survivors of the incident. The infinity shape of the memorial is intended to reflect themes of remembrance and unity, reinforcing the concept that the community remains “forever one.” The design also includes a 58-foot diameter area and a 58-foot tall tower of light, ensuring the remembrance of the victims is both prominent and poignant.
Support from local leaders has been instrumental in advocating for the memorial. Notable figures, including Nevada State Senator John Steinbeck and Sheriff Kevin McMahill, have highlighted the memorial’s importance in the state’s history, while members of the 1 October Memorial Committee have expressed the emotional significance of the project after dedicating four years to developing its design.
Despite growing support from various stakeholders, some community members have expressed concerns over whether the memorial will reach completion. While the community has been responsive to fundraising appeals, there are fears that insufficient donations may hinder progress. The Director of the Resiliency & Justice Center has reported positive backing from Clark County, indicating that the local government is committed to seeing the project through.
Construction efforts are expected to incorporate soil from the original shooting site into the walls of the memorial, further intertwining the memorial’s design with the location’s history. Kelly McMahill from the Vegas Strong Fund has emphasized that the memorial’s design aims to convey the complex emotions tied to both the grief following the tragedy and the enduring spirit of resilience from the community.
The first phase of the fundraising campaign will seek to generate vital resources in the next few years leading up to the memorial’s completion. An emotional reflection observed by committee members following the selection of the design points to the memorial’s role in fostering healing and remembrance. As the tenth anniversary approaches, community engagement will be pivotal in realizing this tribute to the victims and ensuring their legacies are commemorated.
The construction is slated to begin within six months, pending successful fundraising efforts, with the hope of unveiling the memorial before the ten-year anniversary in 2027. For many, the “Forever One” memorial not only represents a somber remembrance of lives lost but also stands as a testament to a community’s unity and resilience in the face of tragedy.
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Additional Resources
- KTNV: Status on the 1 October Memorial
- Wikipedia: Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting
- 8 News Now: Forever One Memorial Announcement
- Google Search: Route 91 Harvest Festival memorial
- Review Journal: 1 October Memorial Approval
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Las Vegas
- Fox Reno: Vegas Strong Fund Ceremony
- Google News: Vegas Strong Fund memorial
