A strong turnout on Saturday morning (September 27th) at Banner Park marked a meaningful step forward in creating the Sarpy County Memorial Forest—a living tribute to our fallen military service members and first responders.
Volunteers from across the community joined members of Green Bellevue, the Bellevue Tree Board, and the City of Bellevue to plant trees and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
The City of Bellevue has officially designated a portion of Banner Park for this memorial forest as part of the Nebraska Memorial Forest initiative—a statewide effort to commemorate Nebraska's fallen heroes through living memorials.
The trees planted were provided through the Trees for Nebraska Towns Initiative, a partnership between the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and the Nebraska Forest Service, funded by the Nebraska Environmental Trust and the USDA Forest Service.
This local project is part of a larger mission led by the nonprofit Honor and Remember Nebraska, which launched the initiative in 2020 with the goal of planting 7,500 trees across the state—one for every fallen hero. To date, 1,785 trees have been planted, and now Sarpy County is proud to contribute to this growing legacy.
Thank you to Jim Meier for taking on the massive statewide task of Honor and Remember and for coming out on Saturday with Gold Star Mothers, Sallie Allen and Nancy Madison, who will have their sons honored by a tree planting. Additionally, a special thank you to all who supported this important effort. Your time and dedication help ensure that the sacrifices of our heroes are never forgotten.