Tampa's Gold Star Families Memorial Gains Momentum

A plan to honor the Tampa area’s military families who have lost loved ones in service just got a boost.

JHS Capital Advisors, a local security broker and dealer, has agreed to match $20,000 of the estimated construction cost for the state’s first-ever Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, according to a media release. The project is being spearheaded by students at Tampa’s Boys Preparatory Academy at Franklin Middle Magnet.

Gold Star monuments are a project of the Hershel Woody Williams Medal of Honor Foundation. They’re meant to honor families who have lost loved ones in service to America.

For JHS Capital’s match to kick in, students at the school have to raise their half of the $40,000 estimated for construction costs. The monument will be constructed on the 3915 21st Ave. school’s grounds.

“The students of BPA have demonstrated the desire and drive to give back to the community in which they live, and their efforts have truly inspired and will be appreciated by the families of the fallen and members of the community,” John Sykes, JHS founder, was quoted in the release as saying. “The idea of putting others’ interests first continues to be the driving factor behind our relationships with our clients, a sentiment that will truly be embodied in our work with the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument.”

Williams is a World War II veteran of Iwo Jima and a Medal of Honor recipient. He visited Tampa-s first all-boys preparatory school earlier this year to pledge $5,000 toward the project. Its Williams’ goal to see a similar monument built in all 50 states.

To learn more about the project or to make a donation to the effort, visit the project’s website.