Mayfield honoring victims of 2021 tornado with memorial benches

MAYFIELD, Ky. (KFVS) - In December of 2021, Mayfield and Graves County faced a devastating EF-4 tornado. Over a year later, two organizations are working to honor those who were lost.

The Purchase Player Community Performing Arts Center and Mayfield Lions Club are partnering together to start what is called a “Buddy Bench Project.” The two non-profit organization plans to honor the 24 individuals and make sure they are not forgotten. They will be making 24 six-foot Buddy Benches that will be placed throughout the community in memory of each of the victims.

To do that, they will be collecting and recycling plastic bottle caps and lids to make complete the project. Each bench requires roughly 200 pounds of plastic bottle caps and lids, needing almost 5,000 pounds of materials to finish the project. One bench has already been donated by Sammie’s Buddy Bench Project.

Both organizations are asking for assistance in gathering the materials to complete this project. If you wish to donate clean and dry plastic bottle caps and lids, you can deliver them to 501 West James Street, at the old Mayfield Vet Clinic. There is a plastic barrel on the west side of the building as a drop off location. You can also message the Mayfield Lions Club Facebook page to have larger amounts of bottle caps and lids picked up.

For more information, you can call Jeremy Prince with the Mayfield Lions Club at 270-619-6306 or Jaime Prince with the Purchase Players Community Performing Arts Center at 270-705-4205. You can also email Jeremy Prince at lionjeremyprince@gmail.com.