KEWASKUM, WI (WTAQ) – A 9/11 memorial in Kewaskum is hoping a unique artifact will help it earn statewide recognition.
The “Wisconsin 9/11 Memorial” isn’t technically the official state memorial for the national tragedy at this time.
“We’re designated as the official Wisconsin 9/11 memorial of Washington County,” explains board member Fuzz Martin. “We’re working currently to get that designation officially to the state recognition level.”
That process includes enlisting help from local and state representatives to achieve the distinction, which no other memorial in the state currently holds.
On Thursday, a groundbreaking event is being held at the memorials future site, which is located in front of the Kewaskum Municipal Annex.
Beyond the physical memorial, organizers hope the space becomes a place of reflection for visitors and also a source of education.
“This will be a place [where] field trips will take place,” says Martin. “There will be learning stations in the memorial itself.”
The centerpiece of the memorial is a beam of steel recovered from the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
The memorial is set to honor all those who perished, including a local graduate, Andrea Lyn Haberman.
Andrea is the daughter of memorial president Gordon Haberman and his wife Kathy.
“She was a local resident of Kewaskum and she had gone to New York on a work trip,” explains Martin. “The wrong place at the wrong time.”
The proposed memorial was designed by former Kewaskum high school graduate Dustin Melzark.
Organizers are continuing to accept donations in order to help pay for construction costs, utilities, and ground maintenance.
There’s not a specific end date in mind, but Martin says they will be working in phases and that the memorial itself should be completed prior to supplemental pieces, such as learning stations and various video/audio elements.
More information on the memorial can be found here.
