About The Park
As Miles’ Mission Memorial Park will continue to develop over the years, the center piece and staple of the environment will be the Angel of Hope Statue.
Access to the statue will be by way of paving stones lined with bricks that have been dedicated by families who have lost a child. These bricks will be etched and placed in a way that each family will be able to locate and admire their child’s name.
In addition to the statue and bricks, plans for one to two pavilions, park benches, a siblings area paved with ducks, a wind phone, and in the future a waterfall for a more calming atmosphere.
Our hope is to have a functional park that brings beauty and pleasure to all who enter its premises.
The Partnership
In April 2025, Russ Edginton, Executive Director of the Muskingum Valley Park District and Dr. Michael Bullock, President of Miles’ Mission, came together and signed an agreement between the two organizations to develop the land located on Military Road in Zanesville, Ohio.
The 2.3 acres, located between the Zanesville Art Museum and Trinity Presbyterian Church, will be used for families who’ve experienced the loss of a child.
The collaboration of both organizations is to support, in part, the mission of MVPD by “Enriching the quality of life of Muskingum County residents…” and ful-filling Miles’ Mission of serving families of loss worldwide.
Free parking will be available and located at the church with access off of Military Road.
Learn more about the Muskingum Valley Park District today by visiting their website! MVPD Website
The History Of the Angel
The Christmas Box Angel Statue was introduced to the world in the book The Christmas Box, a worldwide bestseller and hit television movie by author Richard Paul Evans. In the book, a woman mourns the loss of her child at the base of an angel monument. Though the story is mostly fiction, the angel monument once existed but is speculat-ed to have been destroyed. The new angel statue was commissioned by Richard Paul Evans, in response to reports that grieving parents were seeking out the angel as a place to grieve and heal. The monument was dedicated on December 6, 1994 -corresponding with the date of the child’s death in The Christmas Box. December 6th is also celebrated in many parts of the world as Children’s Day.
Why The Bricks?
Another significant part of our purpose will be the bricks placed along the stone pathways. These bricks are to honor our children’s memories and help in the healing process for our families.
The bricks are also a loving tribute from parents, grandparents, and other loved ones to the memory of the child. In other places where there are bricks, they have become a permanent part of the memori-als, as they will be a permanent part of our memorial park.
As the bricks are purchased and placed in their permanent place, they will be a forever tribute to each child. An annual ceremony will take place to dedicate the bricks during October, which is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
The bricks will be offered as a way to donate to the park and support the work being done.
Order A Brick Online
Park Sponsors
Founding Sponsors
- Cora Rogge Foundation
- The Thompson Family
- Goss Supply Co.
- VFW Post 1058
- OhioHealth
- Kemba Financial
- Hands of Faith Church
Angel Sponsor
- Licking Memorial Hospital
- Sharon Graves
- Quasar Energy
- Hupp-Stiverson Companies
Pavilion Sponsor
- Uniting Us
- The Pannell Family
Children’s Area Sponsor
- Dr. Keith and Kathy Brantley
- Genesis Healthcare
- Amanda Swisher
- TAT’s Pizzeria
- American Pride
- QCP
- Minning Eye Associates
Paving Stone Sponsor
- Donica Jenkins
- Chandra Valentin
- Muskingum County Community Foundation
- The Heather Nicol Group
- True Core Credit Union
- Tim and Cindy Linn