Honoring Philando Castile, Community Joins Effort To Raise Money For Peace Garden
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A fundraising campaign has been launched to enhance the peace garden, created by the public, in honor of Philando Castile, who was killed by a police officer in Falcon Heights in 2016.
The garden was designed to feature and preserve art pieces from community members searching for peace and justice in the wake of Castile's tragic death.
The Philando Castile peace garden committee invites the community to support Castile's legacy by helping raise $500,000 to build and maintain the garden.
A lead gift of $45,000 was given by the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.
The committee is advancing Castile's humanitarian legacy of giving to the community, especially of feeding children in his role as a school cafeteria supervisor at J.J. Hill elementary.
Castile's mother, Valerie Castile, has played a major role in honoring her son's legacy.
"Philando's legacy of love is global and lives on forever in the hearts of children. No one can take that away from us," Valerie Castile said. "Phil understood that many children in Ramsey County, where J.J. Hill is located, live well below the poverty line and cannot always afford to pay for their lunch."
"Phil viewed his community as culturally-rich and knew that communities must work together to take care of one another," said Philando's sister, Allysza Castile.
Visit GiveMN to help toward the cause of creating and maintaining the peace garden in Philando Castile's honor.