The bulk of the money was delivered Wednesday to the surprise of Huntington Mayor Hilary Gordon.

She was attending a ceremony at the Western Energy Training Center outside of Helper. Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. was there signing legislation creating a coal mine safety office within the Utah Labor Commission and paying tribute to outgoing state Sen. Mike Dmitrich, of Price.

After the formalities, Gordon said she was approached by the governor, who handed her an envelope while exchanging pleasantries.

Gordon didn't look into the envelope right away. But when she stepped outside, she looked at its contents and saw a $100,000 check from the governor's father, retired industrialist and philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr.

The governor himself earlier had given $25,000.

"With what the Huntsman family has so generously donated, it will be enough to get the job done," said Gordon, noting that the Huntsmans' contributions supplement donations from the nine victims' families and other donors.

Lisa Roskelley, the governor's spokeswoman, said the Huntsmans had not intended for the donation to be made public, but word got out.

"Both Huntsman Sr. and the governor contributed and wanted to make sure the community had this memorial," she said. "The intent wasn't to get credit for it, just to make sure it happened. The governor spent a long time down there with those people. He certainly was affected by what happened [at Crandall Canyon]."

The money came at an opportune time to advance the work of Karen Jobe Templeton, the Helper artist selected by the families to create a monument. It will be erected along the highway leading to the mine, within eyeshot of the junior high where the families spent many anxious days and nights, waiting in vain for positive news to emerge from the rescue effort.

mikeg@sltrib.com