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.

FMI: Flight 93 Memorial Task Force ; www.honorflight93.org ; http://93centsforflight93.org