HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - Three days before the eight-year anniversary of the Parkland shooting, a victim who died a hero was honored with a special dedication.
Ahead of Saturday’s painful anniversary, city leaders in Hollywood dedicated the Chris Hixon Memorial Trail at Stan Goldman Memorial Park.
While the days leading up to the tragic anniversary remain hard for the affected families and community, Wednesday morning’s event provided a small comfort for the Hixon family.
“It’s a place where there’s life, and Chris was full of life. He enjoyed walking through this park; we did it on a weekly basis,” said Hixon’s wife Debbi. “It’s really special for us. He’s just so happy looking down that his legacy and his memory will go on.”
Hixon, who was the athletic director and coach at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was one of the 17 people killed on the Valentine’s Day massacre.
He’s said to have confronted the shooter in an attempt to save his students.
“We don’t live very far from [Stan Goldman Memorial Park], and it’s part of our daily walk that we do, so having it here is so extra special,” said Debbi.
A hero, veteran, father and husband was memorialized at one of his favorite places.
“For us to have the opportunity to dedicate this in his memory today, being the hero, the veteran, the family man that he was, all of his life he really exemplified the ideals that we strive for in our city,” said Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy.
“It’s really important to all of us that we don’t just remember that they were victims of a mass shooting, that we remember that they were all individuals who had families that loved them, that had goals, that had had dreams that were taken away from them,” said Debbi.
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