TREE PLANTING … Shown is a tree planted in dedication to crime victims at Bryan Municipal Park in reverence of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. (PHOTO BY ANNA WOZNIAK, STAFF)
By: Anna Wozniak
Bryan saw the dedication of a tree to the survivors of domestic violence Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at Recreation Park.
Rachel Blanton, Program Manager at Sarah’s Friends, conceptualized an annual tree-dedication project in reverence of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, which runs April 23-29.
The project will span seven years, with each year seeing a tree dedicated within another municipality in Williams County.
Sarah’s Friends are choosing which parks to dedicate the trees to in alphabetical order, which is why Bryan was the first to see this symbolic event.
Katie Shaffer, Executive Director of Sarah’s Friends, related how the tree symbolizes “the victimization, the loss, the healing, and the voice of those that have fallen victim to a crime.”
Anna can be reached at anna@thevillagereporter.com
