Testimonial

“From the day I heard about it, your vision, I thought it was good for the residents of the village of Fayetteville to have a place to be able to go and be able to reflect on the loss of a loved one. To me, that's just something that's about quality of life. We all need to grieve, we all need a place to grieve. And what tugged at my heart, there wasn't a place for children or youth to go and have a place if they lost a father or uncle or mother or grandmother. And this is what sparked me to say this is a good project for the Village of Fayetteville.” — Mayor Mark Olsen

“My boys had a special relationship with their cousin Caidin, and they always had fun when he visited from Vermont, and when we went up there. They did many overnights indoor rock climbing and just had some crazy fun together. It was devastating for everyone when Caidin died just days after graduating from high school. His cousins loved him very much, so that's why the brick is from Dan, Chuck and Justin.” — James Mckeever, Resident

“Sadly I've seen the same thing happen over and over again. Instead of trying to figure out what to say, students just avoid that conversation. And I think we're all guilty of that at some level but for you to offer something, not just what to say and how to help them feel, here's a service we can provide, a place you can go, just a quiet place. That was really unique. I'm very lucky that I never had to see that that void existed but for people who need it, it's a really great thing that we can offer that very few places have.” — Benjamin Gnacik, FMHS Teacher

“Understanding the necessity of having a place to memorialize people is so important and helpful in our community. In Fayetteville we have the beautiful  Fayetteville Memory Garden. It helps people in many ways, serving as a place to sit amongst the flowers and trees and think of their loved one. A place to help, by contributing to the gardens and to be apart of a community. A place to feel apart of something and not feel alone, a sense of belonging and being connected. FMG helps in so many way’s and to so many people!”  — Janice Abdo-Rott, Village of Manlius Trustee 

“I have the unique privilege of living a short walk from this special place. As one of the few personalized community spaces in the Village, this garden has proved time and time again to be a consistent provider of peace, reflection and natural beauty. Bringing people together around the collective experience of human grief is a profound healing tool that needs to be used more than it currently is in our society. The Fayetteville-Memory Garden is an accessible, powerful community space that welcomes all people regardless of age, race, gender, sexual identity and disability. Thank you to the volunteers committed to maintaining it each year so that we can have a place to heal.” — Ruby Ogno, Volunteer

“For someone who does not have a final resting place to visit for their loved one, the Memory Garden has been a sanctuary. A place to go in times of confusion and struggle to regain balance and serenity. I am very lucky to be a part of a community that has provided such a beautiful area for me to feel connected to my brother.” — Rachael Mou-Thiel, Volunteer

“The memory garden is somewhere to go to remember someone you have lost. It's not a graveyard full of sadness, it's a garden filled with hope. Everyone wants somewhere to go and remember a loved one, this is the place to do it.” — Rachel Primo, Volunteer

“Anyone who has been there sees the value of it. Anybody whose visited will go back again. I've never heard anyone say they've been there and wouldn't go back. The more the public is aware that it's there, the more it will be enjoyed by everyone.” — Sean Foran, Board Member

“It’s so important is that in our culture, most people, their emotions, their grief are not welcome because it can feel very messy, very unwanted these emotions that come out when your're grieving someone you've lost, especially on anniversaries and holidays with families who've lost a baby, at due dates, delivery dates. To have a place like that to go that's beautiful and well cared for, in honor of that child is really, really important. It's important to that community but I think also, it's important to people as people. Needing to show their emotions and be comfortable with them and let grief in as they can.” — Janet Press, Resident