On Thursday, community members and victims' families gathered to mark the third anniversary of the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy, which resulted in six deaths and many injuries. A memorial dedicated to the victims was unveiled at Grede Park. The memorial includes a 13-foot heart-shaped sculpture surrounded by tiles created by the community, according to Spectrum News 1.
"This will be something to make sure that we have a reminder every year around this tragedy, and it impacted lots of lives in a very short period of time, not just those who died but many, many people," Governor Tony Evers said, as reported by WBAY. To honor those lost, flags were lowered to half-staff across Wisconsin.
Local businesses have played a key role in helping the community heal. Tami Evanoff, owner of Burlap and Lace, opened her store to shelter parade-goers and assist the injured during the attack. “I’m still trying to work through some of that,” Evanoff told Spectrum News 1. A bench outside her store honors 8-year-old Jackson Sparks, the youngest parade victim. A federal grant provided access to behavioral health services. Captain Dan Baumann shared that, “Group sessions eased officers into one-on-one therapy, and now it’s almost expected.” Although the grant is set to expire, local organizations have committed to offering continued support, as stated by Spectrum News 1.
The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, have been using therapy to heal. Sharon Millard and Laura Thein, members of the group, are among those seeking support. "I lost it. I mean, I seriously fell apart," Millard recounted in an interview with WISN. The inauguration of the new memorial at 4:39 p.m. on Thursday was timed to coincide with the exact moment of the attack. "I feel honored that they're doing this for, to me, our family, for our friend," Millard said.
