A community-driven effort to honor three lives lost will culminate in a public dedication ceremony Sunday, May 17, at Linton-Stockton schools.

The event, organized through a collaboration between Linton-Stockton’s National Honor Society and the Bring Change to Mind (BC2M) club, will feature the dedication of memorial picnic tables and a bench funded through a unique community project.

According to BC2M sponsor Heather Harris, the initiative began with a simple goal — to create a single memorial bench using recycled plastic bottle caps. That idea quickly grew after an overwhelming response from the community.

“What started as one bench turned into something much bigger,” Harris said. “People reached out wanting to donate caps and contribute financially. It really became a community-wide effort.”

In total, 960 pounds of plastic bottle caps, along with monetary donations, were collected and used to fund the project.

The memorials will honor Linton-Stockton freshman Colten Shields, 14, and his mother, Samantha Jerrell, as well as School Resource Officer Jim Gadberry.

The idea was initially sparked by school staff member Chandra Breneman, who oversees the after-school program at the middle and high school. Shields was an active participant in the program and attended daily, making the location especially meaningful for the memorial placement.

During the planning process, the passing of Officer Gadberry also occurred, prompting organizers to expand the project to include an additional memorial.

As a result, three pieces were created:

A youth-sized picnic table to be placed at the elementary school in honor of Gadberry
A full-sized picnic table in memory of Shields
A bench dedicated to Jerrell

The high school memorials have been placed in an area frequently used by the after-school program. Organizers say there are future plans to relocate Jerrell’s bench to the Linton Post Office, where she was employed, pending approval.

Additional support came from Rader Media Sports, which helped amplify fundraising efforts. The organization pledged to match community donations up to $750 and ultimately presented a check totaling $1,710, which included $960 in community contributions and the full match.

A public dedication ceremony is scheduled for Sunday:

3 p.m. at the elementary playground to honor Officer Gadberry
3:30 p.m. between the high school and gym to honor Shields and Jerrell

Harris said the project reflects the strength and compassion of the community.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who contributed,” she said. “This was truly a collective effort to honor these lives in a meaningful and lasting way.”