Waukesha Christmas parade memorial; use ARPA funds to defray cost?
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Waukesha city leaders will consider on Tuesday night, Dec. 5 using federal dollars to cover almost half of Waukesha's permanent parade memorial at Grede Park.
After installing a memorial on Main Street and holding its annual Christmas parade, Waukesha is now focused on making a $1.6 million memorial at Grede Park a reality.
"The parade memorials themselves are a symbol of our unity, resilience and strength," said Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly.
Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly
Reilly said the space at the park will allow the community to reflect, remember and heal after the event of the 2021 Christmas parade attack.
Darrell Brooks was sentenced to life in prison after he intentionally drove an SUV through the parade. He killed six people and hurt dozens of others. The Grede Park memorial features six concrete benches that unite in the center to form a heart.
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"We’ve shown that we are a very strong community and that we really care about people. This is – in order to complete that – I think we need to complete this memorial," Reilly said.
The mayor said the city has $1.2 million in unallocated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. But if the city council approves a plan to use $600,000 in federal funds for the project, it still will not fully pay for the memorial.
Reilly says in total, the city still needs about $400,000 in donations to pay for the Grede Park memorial. So far, the city has raised nearly $500,000 from the public, organizations and businesses.
One way Waukesha is helping out now is through the "tile project." With a donation, people can decorate clay tiles that will become part of the Grede Park memorial.
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"People will be thinking of this tragedy five years from now, ten years from now, 20 years from now," Reilly said.
Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly
If funding comes in, the city plans to dedicate the memorial in November 2024.