Hollywood Dedicates Memorial Trail to Parkland Hero Chris Hixon

The new Chris Hixon Memorial Trail honors the life and sacrifice of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas athletic director who died protecting students.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Three days before the eighth anniversary of the Parkland shooting, the city of Hollywood, Florida dedicated a new memorial trail to honor Chris Hixon, the athletic director and wrestling coach at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who was killed while trying to stop the shooter and protect his students. The trail is located in Stan Goldman Memorial Park, a place Hixon frequented and found peace. Community members and city leaders gathered to celebrate Hixon's life as a veteran, mentor, and family man, rather than just remembering him as a victim of the tragedy.

Why it matters

The dedication of the Chris Hixon Memorial Trail aims to shift the focus from the tragedy of the Parkland shooting to honoring the life and heroism of one of its victims. By creating a permanent public space to reflect on Hixon's character and actions, the city hopes to inspire the community and ensure his legacy lives on.

The details

The new memorial trail is located in Stan Goldman Memorial Park in Hollywood, Florida, a place that was special to Hixon and his family. During the dedication ceremony, Hixon's wife Debbi shared that they would walk through the park together on a weekly basis, making the trail's proximity to their home deeply personal. Hollywood's mayor emphasized that the city wanted to highlight Hixon's character as a hero, veteran, and family man, rather than just remembering him as a victim of the shooting.

  • The dedication of the Chris Hixon Memorial Trail took place on February 12, 2026, just three days before the eighth anniversary of the Parkland shooting on February 14, 2018.
  • Hixon was killed while trying to stop the shooter and protect students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018.

The players

Chris Hixon

The athletic director and wrestling coach at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who was killed while trying to stop the shooter and protect his students during the 2018 Parkland shooting.

Debbi Hixon

The wife of Chris Hixon, who spoke at the dedication ceremony about how the park where the memorial trail is located was a special place that she and her husband would visit together.

Josh Levy

The mayor of Hollywood, Florida, who emphasized during the dedication ceremony that the city wanted to highlight Hixon's character as a hero, veteran, and family man.

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What they’re saying

“It's a place where there's life, and Chris was full of life. He enjoyed walking through this park; we did it on a weekly basis. It's really special for us. He's just so happy looking down that his legacy and his memory will go on.”

— Debbi Hixon, Wife of Chris Hixon (WSVN 7News)

“For us to have the opportunity to dedicate this in his memory today, being the hero, the veteran, the family man that he was, all of his life he really exemplified the ideals that we strive for in our city.”

— Josh Levy, Mayor of Hollywood, Florida (WSVN 7News)

What’s next

The city of Hollywood plans to hold an annual remembrance event at the Chris Hixon Memorial Trail on or around the anniversary of the Parkland shooting each year.

The takeaway

The dedication of the Chris Hixon Memorial Trail in Hollywood, Florida serves as a powerful reminder that the victims of tragedies like the Parkland shooting should be remembered not just for how they died, but for how they lived. By honoring Hixon's legacy as a hero, veteran, and beloved member of the community, the trail provides a space for reflection, healing, and inspiration.