In the wake of the tragic March 2023 shooting at the Casey’s gas station in Hermann, that took the life of Det. Sgt. Mason Griffith and critically wounded officer Adam Sullentrup, Hermann citizen Josh Dodorico, who lives near the station, began to picture a permanent memorial.

He contacted New Haven muralist Ray Harvey, who has painted over 500 corporate, public, and residential murals, and the two began to collaborate.

“This is typically a very safe community,” Dodorico said, “This is an anomaly. I mean, our kids walk back-and-forth to that gas station all the time, so we felt a very close sense of safety and protection given by the officers and first responders that night.”

To raise money both for the mural and to help the community, Dodorico contacted the local Community Foundation of the Hermann Area (CFHA), a subsidiary of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO), and they created the necessary 501c3 bank account for “The Friends of Hermann Safety.”

“I want this tribute to benefit all the first responders who responded to this event — the firefighters, the EMTs, all of them.” Dodorico said, “The Chief Mason Griffith Foundation already does so much. I also wanted to create a process with checks and balances, a conduit for fundraising that would, in perpetuity, go toward whatever will keep Hermann safe.”

The mural, designed mainly by Harvey with input from Dodrico, features an American Flag and badge as tribute to the officers, while the city’s name and a cluster of grapes symbolize the city itself.

“The goal was to create two sections of the mural and make it interactive,” Dodrico continued, “One section will be more of a tribute and the other section will be more visitor friendly, both will be lit by pre-existing streetlamps.”

A brass plaque will offer an honorable description of the incident, as well as links to donate to either the officers/families or The Friends of Hermann Safety 501c3 fund. The mural itself is expected to take about a month to complete, however the nonprofit must first raise the necessary funds. Their goal is at least $60,000, which includes $40,000 for the mural, $10,000 for the plaque, $10,000 for maintenance of the mural in the event of damage.

 “Anything beyond the cost of this project will be kept in a 501c3 interest-bearing account and then used for the safety needs that are agreed-upon by the board members,” Dodorico explained.  

After the mural is complete, the board hopes to continue accepting donations to help the community.  The money raised would be disbursed through a vote of The Friends of Hermann Safety board, which will eventually be comprised of seven upstanding members of the community.

“The goal is to create a process that will perpetually benefit our community’s kids, grandkids, and beyond,” Dodorico said.

The Friends of Hermann Safety bylaws currently state that 30% of their disbursed funds would be distributed to government organizations, 30% to safety-oriented community projects, and 40% to the community’s individual safety concerns as selected by the board.

To launch these efforts, Casey’s generously donated $10,000 in a check presented last Thursday, Sept. 19.

“I would like to thank the Casey’s Corporation for their donation,” Dodorico said, “and for allowing us to paint a mural on their property. This is a large amount and it’s a great way to get started.”

To donate to The Friends of Hermann Safety, go to https://cfozarks.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list and enter The Friends of Hermann Safety in the search bar. For any questions, or to find ways to help, Dodorico can be contacted at SempreGrato22@gmail.com.