Witness Tree Event - November 1-11, 2024

The City of Florence, in partnership with Florence Christian Church, will be hosting “The Witness Tree” Event. The event will be held beginning November 1, 2024, and run through November 11, 2024, daily at 8:00 a.m. on the campus of the Florence Government Center. The program is anticipated to last approximately fifteen minutes each day. We invite the community, veterans and their families to join us in the solemn and meaningful event. By honoring the memory of those veterans who struggled with mental health issues, we hope to raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in the veteran community.

The Witness Tree program is designed to raise awareness of those invisible wounds that veterans are battling after they return to civilian life and raise awareness of the estimated 22 veterans who commit suicide each day in our nation. Each day, participants will gather around the Witness Tree placing 22 dog tags on a tree, readings, meditative thought, and reflection. At the end of the eleven days, 242 dog tags will hang in honor of those veterans. This poignant display serves as a powerful reminder of the mental health challenges faced by many veterans and the important of supporting their well-being. Visitors are invited to attend and hang military dog tags on the designated tree on the campus of the Florence Government Center.

For media inquiries, please contact City Clerk/Public Relations Administrator, Melissa Kramer at 859-647-8177 / Melissa.kramer@florence-ky.gov.