NEWMAN – The memory of a young girl whose courageous battle with leukemia touched countless hearts and inspired those around her was honored Tuesday, when Bailey’s “Wall of Hope” was dedicated at Von Renner Elementary School.

The newly-installed climbing wall honors Bailey Rocha, who passed away last November at age 8. She was a student at Von Renner.

Family members, friends, students and school staff gathered for the brief ceremony, after which Bailey’s younger brother Bryce and other young family members were the first to test the climbing wall.

With photos lining both sides of the area in front of the climbing wall, the large group paused to remember a caring, compassionate young girl who lived life to the fullest.

Bailey’s father Randy Rocha expressed the family’s heartfelt appreciation for the memorial and to a supportive community.

Bailey would be pleased to know that her friends were enjoying the climbing wall dedicated in her memory, he reflected.

“I think a little part of her stays in you forever,” Rocha remarked during the dedication. “I’m sure she is looking down with a big smile, knowing you are going to enjoy this.”

An active girl who loved being outside and having fun, he later reflected, Bailey would very much approved of the climbing wall.

“It is perfect,” he said.

Principal Audry Garza said the dedication represented the opportunity to “honor the life of Bailey Rocha, in recognition of what she gave to us and added to our lives.”

The after-school choir and guitar class performed “I Think You’re Wonderful” during the dedication.

The climbing wall was a joint effort, with the Von Renner PTO taking the lead in a project that included support from the after-school program, school district and board, and the community as a whole.

Past PTO president Renee Stearns led the campaign to make Bailey’s Wall of Hope a reality.

Seeing the project come to fruition, she reflected, was an emotional moment.

“”It is hard to put into words,” she reflected. “This fits Bailey, and is a good way for all the students left behind to celebrate her life and remember her.”