MESA, AZ – OCTOBER 20, 2010: Saturday October 9, 2010 marked another incredible day in the off-road world when families of the California 200 Accident gathered together to unveil the 8ft Memorial that was built in the recognition of the eight lives lost August 14, 2010. “Thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” said a grieving mother in reference to the touching ceremony, impressive Memorial and 20 foot long banner that people could sign in remembrance throughout the weekend. As part of the ceremony, a candle was lit for each of the eight who passed, and eight seconds of silence was called for.
“We will unveil for the first time a loving and lasting tribute from a special group of our family that wanted to honor those lost…Thankfully and fittingly, the memorial statue we are about to reveal is fabricated by hand in steel and perfect welds – much like the vehicles we all enjoy so much,” said Marty Fiolka during the ceremony. The Memorial was originated by Dana Dague, designed by Scott Freeman, built by Craig Hall of R&I Industries and will be mounted by Ted Cordts.
“I want to start by saying on behalf of our family we have said a lot of prayers and condolences, and on behalf of FAST-Aid we are honored to help you during this time,” said Jared Tetzlaff, President of FAST-Aid. “In the first couple days, donations began rolling in at an unbelievable pace. In the last 6 weeks FAST-Aid has raised $150,000 dollars from the off-road community to help those who are in need as a result of this tragic accident. I am honored to say that we have already been able to give back $50,000 of that in assistance to the families for various bills, medical expenses and everything else that goes with the loss or injury of a loved one.”
“We can’t make it our fault, we must help each other, and help ourselves move on, healing, understanding, accepting and hoping. There are heroes among us that can help,” said Todd Frantzich, Danica Frantzich Father. “I found a quote from an unknown author, ‘Death leads to heartache no one can heal, Love leads to memories no one can steal.’”
“My biggest fear is that as the years go by, people will forget. However, this beautiful Memorial being unveiled today will be our constant reminder. So let’s all make a promise to each other today, to keep supporting this great sport that Aaron and all of us love so much,” stated Cindy Farkas-Lake, Aaron Farkas’ mother whose letter was read during the ceremony.
The ceremony took place Saturday October 9th at 11am during the 2010 Lucas Oil Off-Road Expo in Pomona, CA. It opened with Tom Gattuso welcoming everyone on behalf of Family Events and turning it over to Marty Fiolka, Editor of Dirt Sports Magazine, to host the remainder. After some opening words, Fiolka invited a family member to the stage to light a candle for each of the eight victims from the crash, followed by eight seconds of silence. Jared Tetzlaff spoke of FAST-Aid’s assistance and then victim Danica Frantzich’s Father Todd Frantzich spoke on behalf of the mourning families. Fiolka followed up with a letter from Cindy Farkas-Lake, Aaron Farkas’ mother, and then introduced Dana Dague who spoke on behalf of the builders group. The group of builders unveiled the memorial and it proudly stood at the 2010 Lucas Oil Off-Road Expo for the remainder of the weekend with a 20 foot banner that people could write on to pay their respects. The memorial will visit different locations until a permanent home can be found in the desert.
