Imperial Sugar One Year Anniversary

Today the Imperial Sugar Family marked the anniversary of the tragedy by dedicating a memorial.
Dubbed Legacy Park it has a monument in honor of each of the 14 victims.
In the center of the park is a cross made out of bricks salvaged from the rubble.
When the first bag of sugar is shipped from the plant a statue will be placed in the center of the park. It will have a set of hands with fourteen doves flying toward the sky.
News Three’s Alice Massimi was at the plant for the dedication and spoke with employees who say today is bittersweet.

Cynthia Hamilton and Beverly O’Neal say they’re united by sugar.
“I am happy and sad at the same time, remembering it makes it fresh it brings it all back to that night,” says Hamilton.
Both employees at Imperial Sugar the events of February 7th changed their lives.
“It just rocked my world, my world, my whole foundation was shaken the night that this happened,”  says O’Neal.
By leaning on each other and trusting in God they’ve been able to get through this past year.
“I just always ask God to help me, to deal because it’s a bittersweet thing and the families should all know that they are not alone because we are feeling everything that they are feeling,” comments O’Neal.
United by grief and love they say the dedication of Legacy Park, a monument to the lives lost that horrible night signals the closing of a chapter.
“I always wanted to have something on site after this happened that we can all go and sit back and reflect and remember our friends and family,” says O’Neal.
Fourteen friends whose names are now etched into the memory of many, including Port Wentworth Mayor Glenn Jones who lost a good friend in the explosion.
“It shows you how fast life is. You leave your home, you kiss your children goodbye your wife goodbye to go to work and you expect to see them at night how fast life can change,” says Jones. 
And how long those changes can take to heal.
As 14 doves are released both women say they felt their friends’ presence.
“Definitely I feel that they were all smiling.”
“I know you all are here and I know you are going to be forever here.”