Spokane officials and the Daughters of the American Revolution are moving forward with plans to plant two dozen cherry trees and establish a Never Forget memorial garden at Riverfront Park, with a dedication ceremony scheduled for September 25.
The Spokane Parks and Recreation Department, working alongside the Spokane Parks Foundation and local DAR chapters, will install 15 cherry trees and the Never Forget garden adjacent to the existing Vietnam Memorial above the Washington Street couplet. An additional 10 cherry trees will be planted at Red Wagon Meadow, another section of the park.
Reclaiming Underutilized Space
The Never Forget garden will occupy the area that once housed flags representing Spokane’s sister cities. The Sister Cities Connection Garden opened in 2019, but the flag display has remained vacant since then. Park officials describe the project as an opportunity to refresh these spaces while honoring American history and military service.
Jonathan Moog, speaking on behalf of the parks department, noted that “the intent of the project is also to beautify several underutilized spaces of the park.” The 25 cherry trees themselves carry symbolic weight—each representing a decade of American history.
A Grassroots Movement Across the Region
The Never Forget garden initiative began in Spokane in 2021 when four local DAR chapters started dedicating the memorials. What began as a focused effort has grown substantially: Spokane’s Daughters of the American Revolution chapters have now dedicated more than 20 Never Forget gardens—more than any other region in the nation. The organization currently maintains these gardens across 15 cemeteries, three Veterans Affairs facilities, and three city parks in the Spokane area.
Rae Anna Victor, reflecting on the movement’s expansion, observed that the project “was supposed to just be a year’s project for the centennial, but it took off like a wildfire.” This year alone, the DAR plans to dedicate three Never Forget gardens across the region.
Funding and Community Support
The Spokane Park Board approved the project on Thursday, clearing the way for implementation. The overall effort carries an estimated value of approximately $35,000, but the cost to the city is limited to labor. Funding for the remaining expenses comes from multiple sources: a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant covers the cost of the cherry trees themselves, the Spokane Parks Foundation is funding irrigation installation and equipment rentals, and the DAR is covering material costs through partnerships including support from Home Depot.
The project reflects a broader national interest in preserving cherry tree heritage. Last year, Ginnie Sebastian Storage announced a $2 million gift directed toward the preservation of cherry trees at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., underscoring the cultural significance of these plantings.
Beyond the planting work, DAR members will also take time during the installation to clean and maintain the Vietnam Memorial, adding a service component to the beautification effort.
What Comes Next
The dedication ceremony is set for September 25. Once complete, the Never Forget garden at Riverfront Park will join the network of similar memorials that Spokane’s Daughters of the American Revolution have established across eastern Washington and northern Idaho, continuing a civic tradition that has expanded far beyond its original scope.