How to donate
Residents can donate to the memorial by visiting www.freedom grove.com or by mail at Urbana Rotary Club, P.O. Box 615, Urbana, Ohio, 43078. Checks should be made out to “Urbana Foundation” and indicate that it is for the World Trade Center Memorial.
URBANA — County officials and local residents worked hard to acquire a beam from the World Trade Center as a way to remind residents of the tragedy.
The challenge of designing a proper tribute wasn’t much easier. On Sept. 11 this year, members of the Freedom Grove Committee plan to unveil the memorial at a ceremony in Freedom Grove, a six-acre site south of Urbana.
Mike Major, a local artist who designed the memorial, said it will serve as a symbol of strength and rebirth for residents and visitors to the county.
“We’re celebrating a recovery process from a very devastating event and we’re growing in strength in the process,” Major said.
Don Bauer, a member of the Urbana Rotary Club and the chairman of the Freedom Grove Committee, traveled to New York to help bring the beam to Champaign County. He said several individuals, including Champaign County Prosecutor Nick Selvaggio, helped petition for the county to receive one of the beams from the World Trade Center.
The Urbana Rotary Club leases Freedom Grove from the Champaign County commissioners for $1 a year, and has final approval for developments at the park.
Major said plans for construction are already under way, and the memorial should be in place on Sept. 11 this year.
Major said because the beam itself serves as an important symbol from the tragedy, his goal was to make sure the memorial was fairly simple, with the beam as the centerpiece.
“We’re not putting our personal stamp on it,” Major said. “This is a work of the community.”
The beam will be displayed vertically on a large cement pad. Two stainless steel stars will be posted at the north and south end of the platform, and ripples, symbolizing the ongoing impact of the event, will extend outward from the center.
Major said each part of the design, including the stars, are meant to encourage residents to consider some impact that the attack has had on the country.
“The star is a symbol of freedom and has been since the beginning of this country,” Major said.
No public funds will be used to develop Freedom Grove. The Urbana Rotary Club is working to collect the $30,000 to $40,000 needed for materials and construction.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355.
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