OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Officials in Overland Park dedicated a new memorial commemorating the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2011 terror attacks on Tuesday morning.
The centerpiece of the memorial, located at the Overland Park Fire Training Center, is a 14-foot steel beam from the World Trade Center. It weighs 5,600 pounds and is said to be one of the largest pieces of remains from the World Trade Center to be used as a memorial around the nation.
The dedication ceremony began at 7:15 am with a speech from Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach and Fire Chief Bryan Dehner. Members of the Honor Guard then struck a bell and conduct a wreath ceremony at each moment an event took place on September 11 – including when the planes struck each World Trade Center tower, when a plane struck the Pentagon, the plane crash in Shankaville, Pennsylvania and when the World Trade Center towers each collapsed.
Officials say that they still need around $60,000 to complete the memorial. They say that the best way to donate to the memorial is to call the Overland Park Fire Department at 913-888-6066.
