Exotic Granite Gift For University Memorial
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Stone importer Marble Of The World donated exotic stone valued at more than $250,000 for the Lynn University Remembrance Plaza, unveiled March 16 at a dedication ceremony at the university’s Boca Raton, FlA, campus.
Remembrance Plaza is a permanent tribute that honors and tells the story of four Lynn University students and two professors who perished during the January 2010 Journey of Hope to Haiti. The students and faculty arrived one day prior to the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake that interrupted their plans and created the darkest day in the university’s history.
Charles Urso, CEO of Marble Of The World, felt the need to get involved in the development of Remembrance Plaza; his son attended Lynn University at the time, and one of his son’s professors perished in the disaster. Urso donated the Labradorite Blue Australe granite to help the university honor the students and faculty in a special way.
“We are deeply touched to be able to play such a significant role in Remembrance Plaza and we realize the magnitude this place of reflection will have on current and future generations,” said Charles Urso. “The tragic events of Haiti were felt far beyond our South Florida community, and Remembrance Plaza will touch the lives of many for generations to come.”
Quarried in Madagascar and produced in Italy, the Labradorite Blue Australe was chosen because of its ability to enhance the prisms and cascading water leading into the reflection pool. The granite’s deep blue and green tones are brought out in the dimensional stone, giving an optical effect of multiple layers. The blue reflective qualities compliment the prism because of a rainbow effect that is presented.
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