Plans for Middletown Memorial Gardens, a lasting memorial for the 36 Middletown residents who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 World Trade Center tragedy, will be unveiled at a dinner-dance set for June 14 at Jacques Reception Center, North Middletown.
"The memorial gardens will be a fitting tribute to the Middletown residents who have left behind a legacy of involvement in our community," said Mayor Patrick W. Parkinson. "It will be a beautiful, tranquil place where visitors can sit and reflect about each of our residents who lost their lives at the World Trade Center."
The dinner-dance will be the inaugural event of the Middletown WTC Memorial Committee, which is co-chaired by Mayor Parkinson and Committeeman Raymond J. O’Grady.
"With the community’s support, we can erect a memorial that expresses how the loss of each of these residents has left a void in the fabric of our community and how deeply we mourn their absence," said O’Grady, the committee’s fund-raising chairman. "We are confident our residents will want to help in any way they can to see this important project come to fruition."
The Middletown WTC Memorial Committee, which includes family members of the victims and interested residents, was formed earlier this year to develop ideas for a memorial. Middletown Memorial Gardens will be located on several acres of land in the rear of the future Middletown Arts and Cultural Center (formerly the Banfield Moving and Storage Building).
The initial phase of the project will feature a professionally landscaped walking path, with 36 individual memorials for each victim spaced along the path, said Parkinson, chair of the design committee.
Funding for the project will come from several fund-raising activities, including the dinner-dance and $100,000 allocated by the Township Committee. Memorial Gardens pins are now being sold for a minimum donation of $5 and can be purchased at several locations including Middletown’s 17 public schools. A golf tournament is also being planned for the fall. Corporation donations, which can be presented at the dinner-dance, are also being sought.
Tickets for the dinner-dance are $125 and are tax deductible. The event will include entertainment by Holiday Express, a band led by Rumson resident Tim McLoone. For more information or reservations, call (732) 615-2024.
Proceeds from all fund-raising activities will be used to offset costs associated with constructing and maintaining the memorial. Donations can also be sent directly to the Middletown WTC Memorial Fund, 1 Kings Highway, Middletown 07748. The group has attained 501(c)(3) status and donations are tax deductible.