San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is now the site of a significant new landmark: the nation's first permanent memorial honoring the lives lost to breast cancer. Mayor Daniel Lurie, together with the Bay Area Young Survivors (BAYS) group and the city's Recreation and Park Department, unveiled the BAYS Breast Cancer Memorial Garden this past weekend, according to the SF Recreation and Park Department.
In a speech that set the tone for the memorial's purpose, Mayor Lurie highlighted the site's intent for remembrance and ongoing fight against the disease. "This memorial is the first of its kind in the United States: a permanent public site dedicated to honoring all those we have lost to breast cancer," Mayor Lurie said, per the SF Recreation and Park Department. "I hope it inspires others to get involved, to support families, to get screened, to fund research, and to never look away." His sentiments echoed the grave reality that the struggle with breast cancer affects not just those diagnosed but also the families and friends who support them.
Located at a scenic junction within the park, the BAYS Memorial Garden represents an 11-year collaboration that transformed the vision into a peaceful area where the community can find solace. Forged through donations raising an estimated $800,000, the project was led by InsideOut, an acclaimed landscape and architecture firm, fueled by the passion of volunteers and survivors determined to see it through.
The design includes a sanctuary-like seating area, native plants, and walkways with inscribed powerful words from BAYS members living with breast cancer, along with a metal frame listing the names of those who succumbed to metastatic breast cancer. "This garden honors lives lost, uplifts those still fighting, and invites every visitor to reflect, connect, and find peace," Phil Ginsburg, the General Manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, told SF Recreation and Park Department.
