Supporters Have Raised About 3/4 Of Needed $62 Million For
Completion
The actions of the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 on
September 11, 2001 are credited with thwarting a fourth terrorist
airliner attack that day by interfering with the hijackers who had
taken over the cockpit. Their bravery prevented a successful attack
on Washington, DC, but also cost them their lives. They are
remembered in a way usually reserved for fallen military heroes.
The Flight 93 Memorial Task Force wants to make sure they have a
memorial to match.
Flight 93 Crash Site
The group envisions a reserved space for contemplation
overlooking the field near Shanksville, PA where Flight 93 crashed,
claiming the lives of 40 passengers and crewmembers. The design has
seen its share of controversy. Not all landowners in the area were
sympathetic, and not everyone like the design, which will feature
40 slabs of polished stone inscribed with the names of the
victims.
The Cleveland (OH) Plain Dealer notes that it's the only major
9/11 tribute without enough money to complete construction, but the
group hopes the opening of its first phase in time for the tenth
anniversary of the attacks will provide a boost to fundraising
efforts.
Sharon Deitrick of Akron, the only Ohio member of the Flight 93
Memorial Task Force, is not discouraged. She tells the paper, "I
absolutely 100 percent believe the memorial will be completed.
There's no question in my mind." The HALO Foundation, based in
Kansas City, MO, is working to raise needed funds through a
campaign called "93 Cents for Flight 93." HALO is focused on youth
programs, and hopes to promote an intergenerational awareness of
the significance of Flight 93.
The National Park Foundation is also campaigning to complete the
memorial. In its online appeal, the foundation explains, "We need a
place where healing and understanding of the wounds inflicted by
Flight 93 can occur. We need a place where future generations can
come to learn about how the actions of a few people can make a
profound and lasting difference. We need a place that permanently
recounts the story of Flight 93 for audiences of all ages and
backgrounds in ways that go far beyond movies and textbooks."
So far, $46 million of the needed $62 million has been raised.
About $18 million of that has come from corporations, foundations
and individual donors.
Deitrick suspects the Flight 93 Memorial has not been a high
priority for government funding because of the focus on New York
City, and the rural, heartland location of the field near
Shanksville. Conversely, businesses in the area of the 2,200-acre
site believe the Flight 93 Memorial may be much more accessible for
travelers than those in New York City or Washington, DC.
In her frequent visits to Ohio schools, Deitrick encourages
students to participate in the "93 Cents" campaign, and not by
simply asking their parents for money. Instead, she tells them,
"They can come up with a group effort to raise money or contribute
with individual sacrifices like giving up the purchase of candy, a
beverage or an ITune."
So far, her efforts have brought in over $50,000 in donations
from students...93 cents at a time.