A fundraising campaign to create a public garden in Oxford in memory of the four students fatally shot at Oxford High School in 2021 is underway, and organizers want to raise $50,000 by June 21 to qualify for matching funds from the state.
“Hana’s Garden,” named for Hana St. Juliana, 14, will honor her and the three victims of the Nov. 30 2021 shooting, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation said in a recent news release. The garden’s design concept will center “four,” representing the four lives lost.
St. Juliana was the youngest of the four students fatally shot by Ethan Crumbley, who is now serving a life sentence without the chance of parole. The other victims include Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Tate Myre, 16; and Justin Shilling, 17. Seven people also were injured in the attack, including a teacher.
The crowdfunding campaign was started May 1 and was announced by the MEDC, the Hana St. Juliana Memorial Fund, and the Four County Community Foundation.
If the campaign reaches its goal of $50,000 by June 21, the project will win a matching grant with funds made possible by MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places program. Funding from the campaign will be contributed toward the garden’s development and completion. It also will cover maintenance and upkeep costs, the MEDC said.
“Hana’s Garden will be a space of serenity and remembrance for the Oxford community,” said Paula Holtz, MEDC regional prosperity managing director. “We are honored to support and provide resources for this project through our Public Spaces Community Places program.”
The garden will feature perennials and native flowers, bushes, trees and a water component. It also will include a sculptural tree covered in Wisteria plants, hardscape and softscape materials to create a “visual mix of stunning plants and flowing water will combine to provide a small oasis of healing and remembrance for the community,” the MEDC said. The garden would be located in Oxford, but it was unclear where.
Steve St. Juliana, Hana’s father, said the matching grant would “bring us that much closer to realizing our vision for Hana’s Garden by enabling us to fill in the missing pieces to bring the garden to completion.”
The Public Spaces Community Places initiative began in 2014 in partnership with the MEDC, providing matched funding of up to $50,000 for community improvement projects across Michigan, according to the release. As of April 29, the MEDC has provided more than $12.4 million in matching grants, the release said.
Ethan Crumbley, now 18, was sentenced to life in prison in December 2023 after pleading guilty. He was convicted after firing his gun 33 times in the attack. He was 15 at the time.
Crumbley’s parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, also were convicted in jury trials of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced 10-15 years in prison April 9 for gross negligence that contributed to the shooting.
They were the first parents in the United States to be charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with their child’s mass school shooting. They filed an intent to appeal their convictions last month.
To donate to “Hana’s Garden,” go to www.patronicity.com/project/hanas_garden#!/. As of Friday evening, the campaign had raised $26,000.
