Service set in Arizona for Christina Green; memorial fund established

The memorial service for Christina Taylor Green, the 9-year-old granddaughter of former Phillies manager Dallas Green, is scheduled for tomorrow in northwest Tucson, Ariz.

The service is to be held at 1 p.m. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish with Bishop Gerald Kicanas presiding, according to reports in Tucson.

Christina was among six people killed Saturday by a gunman at a supermarket in Tucson. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head and critically wounded.

Christina, a third-grader who had been voted to the student council, went to the event with a neighbor in hopes of meeting her congresswoman.

Dallas Green and his wife, Sylvia, traveled to Arizona on Sunday to be with his son John and wife Roxanna and grandson Dallas, 11.

"This is such a tough time for Sylvia and I and for John and Roxanna and little Dallas," Dallas Green said in a statement. "We thank everybody from the bottom of our hearts for their friendship, thoughts and prayers, especially the Phillies and our extended family in baseball. Somehow we will get through this, but right now our little 9-year-old granddaughter is not here and we're having a hard time with that."

A large contingent from the Phillies is expected to attend the service, including team president David Montgomery and general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.

The family has created a memorial fund in Christina's honor at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona.

"Our family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love for our sweet Christina," her father, John, said. "This memorial fund will ensure her legacy for the children in our community."

Those wishing to donate can do so in several ways:

* Logging on to the website of the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona at http://www.cfsoaz.org and clicking on the link to the Christina Taylor Green Memorial Fund;

* Contacting the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona by e-mail at christinataylorgreenmemorial@cfsoaz.org, or by phone at 520-545-0313.

* Mailing checks to: The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona In Memory of Christina Taylor Green, 2250 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85719. *