Leadership Redondo Class of 2007 Kicks Off Fundraising for 9-11 Tribute

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Tom Krafick
LRB.TRIBUTE@GMAIL.COM

Contributions to 9-11 Tribute will help fund the design and construction of a memorial in Redondo Beach honoring those who perished on September 11, 2001.

REDONDO BEACH, Calif., September 4, 2007 – The Leadership Redondo class of 2007 announced today that they have officially begun fundraising for their class project, a 9-11 Tribute, which will honor those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The Tribute will be designed to incorporate the 300-pound, 25-by-16-inch piece of one of the World Trade Center's inner beams, which was given to the City of Redondo Beach as a gift from the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) last January.

“The goal is to have the 9-11 Tribute completed by September of 2008,” according to Project Leader Tom Krafick, who is a Leadership Redondo class member and Redondo Beach Police Captain. To meet this goal, fund raising for the design and construction of the memorial will be a top priority for the leadership class. Krafick spoke to the Redondo Beach City Council on Tuesday evening, asking for monetary and fund raising support from South Bay individuals and businesses.

“We will need the support of the entire community to make this project a success,” said Krafick. “Our entire class is donating their time to develop this memorial so that almost 100 percent of the contributions will go toward the design and construction of the memorial.”

The leadership class is working on a few possibilities for a large fund raising event and hopes the community will come out to support the fundraiser when it is announced. They will host some smaller events throughout the year and welcome contributions from individuals and businesses.

“We encourage members of our community to sponsor fund raising events to help us build a memorial that the South Bay will be proud of,” Krafick said. For example, Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza in Torrance will donate 50 percent of all “Messy Sundaes” sold with a meal between September 11, and October 11, 2007 to the 9-11 Tribute.

Members of the Leadership Redondo class, which includes public officials, representatives from local business, and private citizens, decided to adopt the development of the memorial as their class project after Captain Bob Franck of the Redondo Beach Fire Department (RBFD) made a presentation to the class. He spoke about the artifact and the significance of the bond between the Redondo Beach Fire and Police Departments and the FDNY.

In 2002, FDNY Chief's Aid Robert Senn came to Redondo Beach to share his story of being trapped twice during the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers. He was one of about 16 of the firefighters in their group to escape alive. During that visit Franck and Senn became friends. It was this friendship and the friendship forged between Rich Sigler of the Redondo Beach SWAT team that led to the gift of steel from FDNY.

The Leadership Redondo class is in the early stages of developing the memorial. To some extent the site will govern the design of the memorial, and the site has not yet been determined. RBFD has given the leadership group full responsibility to create a permanent home for the gift from FDNY. They only made two requests. First, they asked that the memorial “pay tribute to the more than 2,800 people who died on 9-11 … including civilians and personnel from the airline industry, New York Port Authority, the Pentagon, the Fire Department of New York, and the New York Police Department.” Second, they requested that people who visit the memorial should be able to physically touch the artifact.

“The tragedy of 9-11 touches each and every one of us to this day,” Krafick stated. “The artifact represents the bond that exists between our community, the people who died, and those who survived the attacks of 9-11. It is an honor for our class to build the 9-11 Tribute.”

More information about the 9-11 Tribute can be found at www.9-11Tribute.org. To make a monetary or in-kind contribution or for more information please contact Tom Krafick by email LRB.Tribute@gmail.com. Contributions can be made by check payable to City of Redondo Beach, Project 9/11 Fund and mailed c/o Payroll Management Solutions, 5155 W. Rosecrans Ave, Suite # 1065, Hawthorne, CA 90250.

Leadership Redondo, which is sponsored by the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce, is designed to develop effective community leaders by introducing individuals to different segments of the Redondo Beach community and by providing training in leadership skills and styles. As a group each leadership class selects, develops and completes a project that will impact the surrounding community.