INDIO (CNS)- Attendees of Indio's 9/11 sustainability event will now receive a small shade tree to plant in their yards in honor of U.S. Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez, an Indio resident who was one of 13 service members killed in a bombing in Afghanistan last month.
The event will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Indio Water Authority located at 83101 Avenue 45. The city will provide a number of waste disposal services for residents, including collecting tires, disposing of used oil and oil filters, and disposing of electronic waste.
The city announced on Friday that on top of these services, a total of 300 "small shade trees" will be distributed to locals who participate in the event in honor of Lopez.
Lopez and 12 other service members died Aug. 26 in a suicide bombing at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, amid the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country.
"Planting these trees will eventually provide shade, a beautiful canopy around our city, and a generational legacy in Hunter's honor," Indio Mayor Elaine Holmes said. "In addition, it's a small way we can recognize the significance of the 20-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the many sacrifices made by our troops since that time."
The trees were provided by the city of Indio and Sun City Nursery.
"We are proud to do what we can to help support not only the Lopez family, but all those who were injured or who lost their lives for our country," said Pedro Macias, the nursery's owner.
Alongside the tree distribution, Indio's memorial for Lopez, placed in the shade of a large Afghan pine tree on the west side of City Hall, will remain open until Sept. 11 for residents to leave items of remembrance and tribute. People are asked to not leave lighted candles.
The memorial includes a large photo with the words, "In grateful memory of the service and sacrifice of U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez. You are forever a son of Indio."
Hunter Lopez was the son of Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Alicia Lopez and Sheriff's Captain Herman Lopez.