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Date: 6/30/2021
CHICOPEE – Chicopee Comprehensive High School (CCHS) has finished installing the “Fallen Colts” monument on the Mitchell Kuzdzal Field to celebrate the lives of students who have passed away.
Carl Ingram, academic, career and technical coordinator at CCHS, said that he came up with the idea for the monument after losing a student close to him. Two years ago, former CCHS student Alex Ortiz died in a car crash.
“He had made such an impact on a lot of people in school, but more importantly in the Ingram household,” said Ingram. “When he passed away over the summer it kind of hit not only me hard, but my entire family.”
Ingram said that he had known Ortiz for many years. His son played football with him and his daughter shared the same friend group. Ingram wanted a way to honor Ortiz and other CCHS students who had passed.
“As a community, I noticed how hard it hit a lot of people. I wanted to do something that tries to heal the community a little bit,” he said.
This led to Ingram coming up with the idea for the monument. He found an antique shop in Palmer selling old cast iron horse heads and thought it would be perfect to go with CCHS’s logo.
Ingram said that fixing up the head was a collaborative effort from the school with the Athletic Department, Career & Technical Education Department, Horticulture, Advanced Machining, Metal Fabrication and the Art Department helping to design, fabricate, paint and install the monument.
“It’s really not for the public, per say, it’s more for the students in the building to kind of help them heal. I also look at it as a way to try to remember the good memories that you have from people who have touched your life in a way. So that’s kind of what I’m using it as,” he said.
After the process was delayed for many months due to COVID-19, it was finally installed on June 18. Athletes will be able to put their hands on the statue as they pass it to remember both Ortiz and others.
Ingram said that he hopes the “Fallen Colts” monument will help all CCHS students remember the good times they had with those they have lost and know that time heals all wounds.