Anne Arundel County officials want to raise $50,000 to transform two pieces of metal from the World Trade Center into a local memorial to the police and firefighters who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The Anne Arundel County Arts Council began this month soliciting donations for the project. The memorial, which was designed by Annapolis-based landscaping company Walnut Hill, will be outside of the county police headquarters on Veterans Highway in Millersville.
Despite the sluggish economy, officials are confident the fundraising goal will be met.
"People are very receptive," said April Nyman, executive director of the arts council, a nonprofit that receives county funding. "It's something that's meaningful to all people."
The design calls for two brick walkways leading to the memorial, which will feature the two beams rising from rubble. The memorial will be surrounded by red maple trees that should be in bloom each year during the anniversary of the attacks.
"The terrorist attacks on our country were a wake-up call to every American and this memorial will be a constant reminder of our freedom, unity and vigilance," County Executive John R. Leopold said in a statement announcing the fundraising effort.
The beams from the wreckage of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center were brought to Anne Arundel in June through a donation by L.R. Willson & Sons Inc., a steel erection company in Gambrills, after a request from Leopold. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have distributed thousands of pieces of debris to governments around the world for incorporation in memorials to the attacks.
One beam is 15 feet long; the other is 11.5 feet long.
The county hopes to complete the first phase of the project by September and hold a dedication on the anniversary, with the final completion by the 10-year anniversary.
In addition to monetary donations, the county is looking for in-kind donations from landscaping and concrete companies and help from a structural engineer and experts in steel erection. Donations can be made through the purchase of engraved bricks lining the pathways for between $100 and $350, depending on size. They're also offering the option of paying for the dedication of benches and trees as part of the fundraising effort.
For more information on how to donate or volunteer, call the arts council at 410-222-7949 or go to http://www.annearundelartscouncil.org.