21 oak trees to be planted in Uvalde cemetery to honor victims of Robb Elementary shooting

A wholesale nursery based out of Arizona donated the trees

UVALDE, Texas – A wholesale nursery based out of Arizona is paying their respects to the 21 victims of the Robb Elementary mass shooting by donating long-lasting trees.

This is a company that serves the southwest region of the U.S. that includes California, New Mexico, and Texas.

Arizona Wholesale Growers said they’ve worked with a nursery in Uvalde before and reached out to learn of ways they can support the community after learning of the horrific events.

They’ve brought in 21 live oak trees down to Uvalde all the way from Arizona. The trees will be planted at the cemetery in honor and in memory of each victim.

“One thing that I hope they feel is that everybody, it doesn’t matter if they are in Arizona or somewhere else in the country or the world, that they are thinking about the people here in Uvalde and that they just keep that in mind that everybody is with them also,” Shawn Cox, the general manager of Arizona Wholesale Growers, said.

The trees are roughly 8-feet tall and come in a 24-inch-wide container. They are a long-lasting tree and are currently about 5-years-old and can live beyond 100-years taken care of. Cox said the trees represent strength and longevity.

“Gardening and being out in nature and taking care of nature it does heal, it does make people feel good and I hope that people see these, and they feel a connection to them, and they feel interested in maintaining the area and the space and the symbology of it and keep that in people’s minds,” Cox said.

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About the Authors:

Jonathan Cotto is a reporter for KSAT’s Good Morning San Antonio. He’s a bilingual award-winning news reporter and he joined KSAT in 2021. Before coming to San Antonio, Cotto was reporting along the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas. He’s a veteran of the United States Navy.

Sarah Acosta is a weekend Good Morning San Antonio anchor and a general assignments reporter at KSAT12. She joined the news team in April 2018 as a morning reporter for GMSA and is a native South Texan.