John Doherty Sculpture

Hurricane Katrina ceremony and sculpture dedication to be held Friday in Slidell

The city of Slidell on Friday will hold a memorial ceremony marking the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and featuring the dedication of a 13-foot steel sculpture donated by a former city resident.

The event will take place at 9:30 a.m. at Heritage Park, with Mayor Freddy Drennan reflecting upon the city's progress since the storm, followed by a prayer by City Councilman Bill Borchert and a moment of silence. The event is open to the public.

The "Fleur de Triomphe" by Colorado artist and former Slidellian John Doherty will be dedicated.

Doherty, a 1984 Slidell High School graduate who now lives in , created and donated the piece to help the city commemorate the fifth anniversary of the hurricane.

The sculpture is crafted from a 24-inch steel pipe, stands 13-feet 4-inches tall and weighs 1,200 pounds. It is crowned with a curved fleur de lis, and at the 7-foot mark there's a hurricane symbol and a line depicting the water level reached in the area of the park in which the statue stands.