Toms River officials have unveiled a new monument commemorating the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks by way of a new monument on Washington Street which includes a beam from the Twin Towers.
“The beam is a symbol that represents the significance and importance that 9/11 still has for us,” said Toms River Township Mayor Thomas Kelaher. “We needed to find a way to honor those lost in the tragedy and we also needed someone to help us build a formal monument, so we reached out to the Toms River Kiwanis Daybreak, a local civic group, and they built a nice memorial to surround the beam.”
In addition to the steel I-beam from the Twin Towers, the materials consisted of two pieces of fluted gray granite, symbolizing the two towers that were destroyed on Sept. 11. According to Applegate, it is housed on a polished black granite base. The overall cost was $6,500, which was donated in its entirety by Kiwanis Daybreak.
“It’s hard to believe that the tragedy of 9/11 was almost 13 years ago, but it’s fitting that we dedicate this memorial to commemorate that event, “ Kelaher said at Toms River Food Fest last weekend, when the monument was formally dedicated. “ As we’ve all heard before, ‘We will never forget.’ ”
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
