9-11 Memorial Committee ready to move ahead

In separate meetings across Oconee, fire fighters and school board members were given the status of a planned memorial to the tragic, yet heroic, events of September 11, 2001. A volunteer committee that has worked behind the scenes for three years is ready to move toward raising funds to make the memorial a reality. Land has been secured and a design approved for the memorial to incorporate remnants from all three locations of the 9-11 attacks. Committee chairman and Keowee fireman Brandon Shirley told the annual meeting of the Oconee Fire Fighters Association, “This memorial will be a tribute to you, all the first responders who answered the call that fateful day and to all those who served our country in the years since the attacks.” The Oconee School District has designated frontage for the memorial on SC 11, near where the new Walhalla High School is being built. Committee members Josh Holliday and Jim Alexander spoke to the school board about the memorial which is to be an ongoing source of remembrance and education for generations to come. Visitors will be able to drive or park and walk through the memorial. Checks should be made payable to 9/11 Memorial Oconee SC Inc. and mailed to 9/11 Memorial Committee, 115 Maintenance Road, Salem, SC 29676. Contributions can also be made on the website: www.mountainlakes911memorial.com.