Since the early 1880's, volunteer and professional firefighters have been protecting the lives and property of the citizens of Yakima County. In that time fourteen firefighters have been called upon to give the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. The Fallen Firefighter Memorial Association and the Zillah High School FFA Chapter invite you to join us in the creation of a lasting tribute to honor those fallen heroes. This project is funded through private donations. We are a tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) organization and registered with the Secretary of State's office as a non-profit organization. The memorial will be located on 1st Ave in Zillah. The budget of this project is $100,000 and it is our hope that the citizens of Yakima County and others will gratefully acknowledge these Fallen Heroes by supporting this effort.
Memorial Description
The memorial will include a slightly larger than life size Bronze Statue of a firefighter placed in the center of a memorial plaza. The architect for this project is Nicholas Schaan, A Landscape Architect student at Washington State University. The sculptor is Larry Perkins of Colorado (Mr. Perkins was the sculptor for the Tacoma Firefighter Memorial). The plaza will include a water fountain and a flagpole on the north end, and a granite wall to the south, which will be etched with pictures and names of the fallen firefighters. The center of the plaza will be laid in memorial paver bricks in the shape of the Maltese cross. The statue will be placed in the center of the Maltese cross. The area around the plaza will be beautifully landscaped.
The statue will stand approximately 90 inches and will depict a firefighter in full turnout gear advancing a 1 ½" hose on a working fire. The artist, Larry Perkins, has said that he "hopes the sculpture will be intimately enjoyed by the public. Like real firefighters, this figure is open, accessible, and "larger than life." Visitors can walk amongst him. Perhaps all will feel some of the power of absolute dedication these people bring to their hazardous, essential job." The piece is made from hollow-cast bronze, colored with a "French brown" chemical patina, and covered with a protective coat of carnauba wax, all of which stands up very well to outdoor weather conditions. The memorial is designed to give the citizens of Yakima County many decades of pleasure and pride in honoring their fallen firefighters.
We began the fundraising phase of this project in 2002. So far we have raised over $20,000 and are actively seeking grants, corporate and private contributions and several fundraising events. Current fundraising events include selling memorial paver bricks, an Annual Hole-In-One Golf Shoot-Out, and an Annual Fireman's Memorial Ball & Auction. We are currently selling Firefighter Memorial Wristbands. The wristbands are a red silicone band just like the yellow "LiveStrong" bands made popular by Lance Armstrong. The firefighter bands are embossed with the words "Honor" and "Sacrifice" and the Maltese Cross. Bands are available through the Zillah FFA Chapter for $2 each plus shipping. Order forms can be downloaded from the Zillah FFA web page at
www.zillahschools.org/FFA. We would appreciate any support you can give to this memorial project. Donations can be sent to "Fallen Firefighter Memorial Association" at 1602 2nd Ave. Zillah, WA 98953.This memorial is dedicated to those who, through their devotion to their mission and to their community, sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice.