Turning Point USA announced on August 23 that it will hold a memorial event for its co-founder, Charlie Kirk, at Utah Valley University on September 10. The event, titled "Freedom Built to Last," is scheduled to take place at the UCCU Center, located a short distance from the site where Kirk was shot and killed during a previous speaking engagement.
The university confirmed in a statement that campus operations will be closed on the day of the event to allow for reflection and connection, though the UCCU Center will remain open for the private event. Utah Valley University stated that the memorial is intended to foster healing for the campus community following Kirk's assassination.
The program will include remarks from Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Sypher, commentator Glenn Beck, and Frank Turek. The memorial marks the beginning of the "All-American Comeback Tour," which plans to visit several college campuses. Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk, has previously participated in a similar nationwide tour following her husband’s death during the "American Comeback Tour."
A person at UVU will notice that typical services and classes are unavailable on the day of the memorial, which the university described as a time for "reflection, service, and connection." The event establishes a potential precedent for campus-based memorials for the organization, as the university and Turning Point USA reported they are currently in discussions regarding the possibility of holding a consistent annual memorial for Kirk in future years.
The scheduled memorial on September 10 will serve as the launch for the "All-American Comeback Tour," which will bring similar events to other unnamed university campuses in the coming months. The university stated it will continue to monitor the needs of the campus community and collaborate on future commemorative efforts. Specific dates for subsequent tour stops have not yet been reported.