Santa Fe, Texas (Sept. 13, 2021) – The Santa Fe Ten Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit whose
mission is to remember the students and teachers lost in a mass shooting three years ago at
Santa Fe High School, is receiving a seed of hope as a recipient of a “9/11 Survivor Tree
Seedling.”
Each year on Sept. 12, the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum selects communities impacted by
violence and disaster to receive a seedling of a Callery pear tree, the last natural element
rescued from Ground Zero 20 years ago. The limbs were broken and burnt, and the remnants
were placed in the care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Tree experts
from a Bronx nursery nurtured the tree back to health, and it was aptly named the Survivor
Tree. It is now a permanent fixture in the 9/11 Memorial Plaza in New York City and is viewed by
millions each year.
To date, only 24 communities across the world have been selected to receive a coveted seedling.
The Santa Fe Ten Memorial Foundation is one of three recipients chosen in 2021 for
demonstrating resiliency in the face of adversity.
The tight-knit community of Santa Fe experienced its version of 9/11 three years ago when a
mass shooter opened fire, killing 10 students and teachers and physically injuring 13 others. In a
matter of minutes, Santa Fe experienced a tremendous loss. And to this day, citizens carry an
immeasurable amount of trauma and grief – similar to those who survived the horrific attacks on
Sept. 11.
“This gift of nature will stand as a living monument in the Santa Fe Ten Memorial. It will serve as
a national landmark of hope and resilience in our community that recognizes the strength of
those that lost loved ones, the courage of those who survived, and salutes those who risked their
lives to help others,” said Megan Grove, Chair of the Santa Fe Ten Memorial Foundation.
In a letter received from Alice M. Greenwald, President and CEO of the National 9/11 Memorial
& Museum, the hope is that Santa Fe would “find comfort in this expression of compassion and
solidarity from across the country and the world.”
Santa Fe High School students will be responsible for caring for the Survivor Tree seedling with
mentorship provided by students at John Bowne High School in Flushing, New York, where the
seedlings are currently nurtured before being sent to the honorees.
“Santa Fe ISD will continue to support the Santa Fe Ten Memorial by bringing our community
together to remember and honor all individuals impacted on May 18, 2018,” said Kevin Bott, Ed.
D., Superintendent of Schools. “We would like to express our thanks to the National September
11 Memorial & Museum for partnering with us to support the Santa Fe students and
community.”
Some surviving students had the opportunity to visit the Survivor Tree in New York City. For the
Rosenboom family, whose son, Colby, sustained gunshot wounds and escaped the art room, the
gift of the seedling holds a special meaning.
“The whole 9/11 Memorial has a feeling of reverence and solemnity. The magnitude of what
happened there can be felt. We hope and pray that the Santa Fe Ten Memorial will have that
kind of impact on the survivors, community, as well as visitors,” said Dawn Rosenboom, Colby’s
mother.
Brent Cooley, a first responder on the scene at Santa Fe High School says that those who were
there on that day felt and still feel a sense of commitment to future efforts to do more.
“Any distinction of ‘heroics’ on that day does not apply to us as the loss of life, even one life, was
far too great,” he said.
There is no date set for planting the 9/11 Survivor Tree seedling. The Foundation is currently
raising funds to build the Santa Fe Ten Memorial, where the seedling will eventually be planted.
“The two tragedies – 9/11 and the Santa Fe shooting – share the common bond of not only loss,
but the desire to heal and promote unity,” said Cooley.
For
more information about the Santa Fe Ten Memorial or to donate,
visit www.sftenmemorial.org.
About the Santa Fe Ten Memorial Foundation
The Santa Fe Ten Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to design and
build a memorial that remembers and honors those who died and all individuals impact on May
18, 2018, in the Santa Fe High School shooting. The intention of the Santa Fe Ten Memorial
Foundation is to honor the ten collectively and as individuals and strive to do so within the
boundaries of each families’ comfort. The Foundation seeks to ensure each of the ten are
remembered, honored, and celebrated. For more information, visit www.sftenmemorial.org.
