We would like to thank everyone for coming to share this day with us.  We are very honored that we are able to remember Michael by this gathering of family, friends, and faculty and by the construction of this beautiful memorial plaza. I know he would be very happy to see us all together today.

This plaza came together by the help of many people and I would like to thank and recognize them. Last year we were contacted by Bobbi Martin from Emily Gray about the completion of this school and how this would be the new Junior High. At the original Junior High School, we had a tree and plaque placed there in Michael's memory.  Bobbi asked us if we would like to move the tree to the new school or for it to remain where it is.  That letter started the planning that led to this memorial plaza. Through family friends, we learned and recognized the importance and value of donating back to the community and doing so to make something that has lasting impact on people's lives and also a way of remembering a loved one.

With that start, we met with the school's principal, Greg Miller, and District Superintendent, Dr. Doug Price, along with architect Marco Hernandez, who designed this plaza.  Greg and Doug were very generous with their time in showing us areas of the school that could benefit by improvements in different ways and how these would help the students. It was very clear to us that they knew every inch of the school and how it functioned for the students. This area, and it's use for the drop/off and pickup of the students and the lack of shade and areas to sit was selected for work on a design that could be proposed to the school district.  Marco quickly worked on a design, and when we saw it, we immediately realized he had created a beautiful concept that blended in with the school, looked as if it was original-built with the school, provided great function to the students, and honored Michael's memory.  For this we are greatly appreciative and indebted to Marco. He described this project as a labor of love, and it clearly shows.

We are very appreciative of the support of the school district and their board in the approval of this project and wish to thank them for this.  I would especially like to thank Marty O'Shea for his support and oversight of seeing the memorial plaza from concept to approval and final completion as you see today.

We wish to also thank the faculty and staff of Emily Gray.  Doug Price and Principal Miller for all their support and time, and Bobbi Martin for her thoughtfulness and caring towards our family. Today we have teachers of mine and Michael's, Mrs. Wilson and Mr. Voutsas and appreciate them being here and being part of our lives.

We are grateful for the work that Lloyd Construction and their subcontractors have done in building the memorial plaza.  Erik Johnson and Peter Robertson managed this job superbly, finishing it in record time, with great challenges (students, pipes in un-expected place, lot of stuff in small area), and to a very high standard. Peter told me that "Everyone working on this knows the importance of this memorial to you and your family" and again, it clearly shows.

I would like to thank my family for giving me the time and entrusting me to oversee see this memorial for my brother Michael.  I hope that it will bring peace and comfort to us knowing that Michael's memory will not be forgotten and that a lasting place for students of Emily Gray Junior High School exists for them to use and enjoy.

Finally, We wish to thank all of you for coming here today to be with us on this special day.