On June 3, 2023, the River Forest community will come together to celebrate Anne Smedinghoff and rededicate the Anne T. Smedinghoff Memorial Garden. The event will take place in the garden, hosted by the River Forest Public Library Foundation and the River Forest Public Library.
Anne Smedinghoff was serving in the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer in Kabul, Afghanistan when she and five other Americans were killed in a suicide bomb attack in Qalat, Zabul on April 6, 2013. Anne was a native of River Forest, Illinois and grew up using the River Forest Public Library. On June 1, 2013, the newly built garden at the Library was dedicated to Anne’s memory and has stood as a tribute to her service and her desire to help children read. On June 3, we will come together to celebrate the impact of Anne’s life and to rededicate the garden and ourselves to the values of service and reading for all.
Join us from 3:00 to 4:30pm in the Anne T. Smedinghoff Memorial Garden. Ceremony begins at 3:30pm. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held in the River Forest Public Library on the 2nd floor.