TUESDAY, OCT. 25TH AT 10:30 AM DISTRICT 1 POLICE STATION IN TAMPA
800 Pound “TAKING A STANCE” Six Foot Lion Sculpture Revealed
HONORING OFFICER JESSE MADSEN AND OTHER OFFICERS WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN THE LINE OF DUTY
Steven Anthony Rogai, founder of the Rogai Family Foundation, has announced that Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and Tampa Police Chief Mary O’Connor will be guest speakers on Tuesday, October 25th at 10:30 am for a dedication ceremony to honor fallen Master Police Officer Jesse Madsen and those officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. The ceremony will include community leaders and police officers as they attend the reveal of a commissioned sculpture titled “TAKING A STANCE,” located outside Tampa’s Police Department District 1 at 3818 W. Tampa Blvd.
Tampa artist Dominique Martinez, a metal sculptor and CEO of Rustic Steel, was commissioned by the Rogai Family Foundation to create “TAKING A STANCE.” The lion sculpture weighs 800 pounds, stands six feet tall and is made up of various pieces of the police vehicle that Officer Madsen was driving when the tragedy occurred. In addition, 125 de-commissioned pistols, revolvers, shotguns and assault rifles are woven into the sculpture. It consists of over 6,000 welds throughout the entire piece and took about 800 hours of fabrication.
Officer Jesse Madsen was a husband, father of three, a Marine and a 16-year veteran of the police department. Just before 1 a.m. on the morning of March 9, 2021, Officer Madsen, 45, purposely veered into the path of a wrong-way driver on I-275. He was the 32nd police officer to die in the line of duty for the Tampa Police Department.
Steven Anthony Rogai was inspired by Madsen’s courage and created the Rogai Family Foundation to raise money to fund the L.E.O (Law Enforcement Officer) memorial sculpture.
As the founder of the Rogai Family Foundation, he said the mission of the charitable arm of Steven Anthony Luxury Homes is “supporting an enhanced quality of life for the Tampa Bay community through advocacy and economic support.” He looks forward to this being the first of many events that will support the Tampa Bay community.
“This will be more than art; it’s a timeless piece, said Rogai. “To honor and recognize the bravery of their service.”
“The creation of the memorial statue allows the Tampa Bay Community to honor the service and bravery of the police officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” said Steven Anthony Rogai. “It has been an absolute privilege to lead the charge of getting this memorial sculpture created and installed by creating the Rogai Family Foundation.”
Donations from the community helped fund the memorial sculpture.
Dominque Martinez, the artist selected to create this special memorial along with his team at Rustic Steel, said “This project will be most impactful, and the finished piece is designed to showcase the officer’s strength and honor and will even include several parts of his car. It will be unveiled at the Tampa Police Department for the world to see the sacrifice this man made. Visitors will see how this memorial came together to show community support for law enforcement.”
Those interested in donating for other fallen officers and first responder projects can contact: the Rogai Family Foundation at 888-663-2271.