SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WPRI) — Next to the calm waters and sandy stretch on Georgiaville Beach in Smithfield is a memorial dedicated to 22 people who lost their lives in the waters.

Lifelong resident Patrick Taylor has made it his personal mission to remember them, adding that he grew up on the pond and remembers losing his school friends in the water in the 1970s.

“We have all lost somebody. Everyone knows somebody who lost a friend or a family member,” Taylor said. ” I get choked up when it comes to that.”

Taylor coordinated getting the sign and a plaque through donations and fundraising but he wants to do more. He is raising money to get 75 bricks in the ground and engrave 22 of them with the names of people who passed away at the pond.

“There’s a lot of new people in this town and they have no idea, and we would hate to see another kid, another child gets lost,” Taylor said. “If we can keep one person from drowning, all this time and money would be worth it.”

Taylor says he has received an outpouring of support from the community, including Sen. David Tikoian who has supported the project since the start.

“[Taylor] is very humble but it’s really him that was the motivator behind all of this we are so proud of him,” Tikoian said.

Taylor is looking to raise $3,000 for the bricks and Taylor said he currently has about half of that.

D’Angelos in Smithfield is stepping in to help him reach his goals. On Saturday they are donating 20% of qualifying sales to his cause.

“There are people in Papa Ginos and D’angelos who are connected to the pond through the lives that have been lost,” General Manager Matthew Badway said. “It’s not so much about us, it’s about them.”

The last casualty of Georgiaville Beach was in 2017 when a 19-year-old man drowned after swimming in a restricted area .

“[I] just hope we don’t have to add any more bricks,” said Taylor. “That’s the whole idea, make awareness and not add any more bricks.”

For more information and other ways to donate you can visit online .

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