Some 2,000 people gathered at the site of the Station nightclub fire in West Warwick Sunday, for the dedication of a new memorial. The space has been more than a decade in the making.
The harrowing February 2003 incident killed 100 people. It remains one of deadliest nightclub fires in U.S. history. Building a memorial site has been a long road for organizers, who battled for the rights to build on the land, and faced struggles raising the millions needed to for construction and maintenance. The site is now a lush park with seating and pathways, as well as one hundred stones engraved with the victims’ names throughout.
Speaking before the crowd at the dedication ceremony, lead organizer and fire survivor, Gina Russo thanked the families of both those injured and the victims for their patience.
“This is for all of them, and it’s for all of you,” said Russo. “You families have stuck by me. You’ve heard me cry, you’ve heard me rant, but you haven’t given up because we always had one goal. And that was to honor one hundred people who passed, and I feel like we’ve done that.”
Russo lost her finance in the blaze. Russo herself was severely burned in the fire. She told the young people gathered at the dedication, that she hoped the memorial would show them the power of resilience and perseverance.
“You can rise above anything, that no matter how hard life becomes, think about it, stop, breathe, and just rise above,” said Russo. “Because I promise you, life is really really good. I learned that 14 years ago when I thought I’d never survive this, with all the injuries and all the pain.”
The Reverend Don Anderson, leader of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches also spoke during the ceremony.
“Their lives and their names will never be forgotten,” said Anderson. “But this is also a site of hope, a reminder that the lives lost on that night were not lived in vain.”
The Station nightclub tragedy prompted the state to adopt stringent fire safety laws, in an effort to keep such an event from occurring again.
“We pray especially for those who were so close to the one hundred souls honored here,” said Anderson. “Somehow, in some way, may this memorial bring them a degree of peace.”
The event also served as a rare public appearance by former Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri, who was one of the first speakers, along with current Governor Gina Raimondo. Carcieri was just months into his first term when the fire occurred.
