Only about 30 yards from the spot where a truck ran down a Springfield couple in October, mall-goers will be able to meditate and reflect while sitting on a granite bench that bears the couple’s names.

A memorial to Marilyn and Dallas Vance, who died as a result of their injuries from the hit-and-run in the parking lot of the Pony Village Mall, the bench will be dedicated by management, staff and tenants of the shopping center at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Springfield couple was struck by a truck driven by Noe Garcia Moncada of North Bend on Oct. 16, as they walked to their room at the Comfort Inn from the Pony Village Cinema.

The dedication, which is open to the public, will take place in the park on the eastern edge of the property between the Comfort Inn and the Pony Village Cinema, where the bench overlooks the Pony Creek.

Commissioned by Paul and Kathleen Rudder, the owners of Pony Village Mall, the memorial is engraved with the Vances’ names and the date they were struck. The bench already has been installed, but will be unveiled during the event.

“I just want a huge turnout because it tells them how our community feels,” Kathleen Rudder said. She added she hopes the family of the Vances will attend. “We are grieving (for) them and we want to thank them for giving us this opportunity to say goodbye.”

The mall is located at 1611 Virginia Ave., in North Bend.

 For more information about the dedication, those interested can call 756-0433 or e-mail Kathleen@ponyvm.com.