BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The 5/14 Memorial Commission asked for the East Side community's input on where and how to forever memorialize the ten victims killed at Tops Friendly Markets on Jefferson Avenue.
Some hope the commission can consider having a QR Code with the statues for the memorial.
“They'll be able to see all the events that happened so that’s what I’m trying to present to everyone,” says Lynn Crumpler, a resident. “Because even when we’re gone it’s still going to be something that’s recognized on what happened to our community.”
The Chair of the 5/14 Memorial Commission Rev. Mark Blue says this project is going to take some time.
The funding for this will come from the city, state and a capital campaign fund.
“Then we’re going to launch a capital campaign to help raise those funds where it can be maintained on a regular basis,” he says. “But we need to know from the community: what do you want and where do you want it?”
Others suggested to the commission to look into the vacant lot across the street from Tops as a place for the memorial.
“We can also have a garden on the side, with pretty flowers,“ says Sharon Doyle, a resident. “You can think of things to do in that space.”
Doyle hopes more community members will show up to these meetings as they only have one meeting left to weigh in.
“When this happened people were out there getting all kinds of free things they offered so you should be able to voice your opinion when they offer things to us to probably better our community,” she says.
Some people like Jonathan Fulcher got a bit emotional during the conversation as he says he continues to see the cycle of this community being forgotten.
“For two decades this has looked fairly similar. There has been a lot of investment in the waterfront. A lot in downtown, but not very much investment in the East Side,” he says. “And I think this is a perfect opportunity to give people within this community something positive.”
The final meeting took place at 5:30 p.m. on August 15 at the Stanley Makowski Early Childhood Center on Jefferson Avenue.
During that meeting, the deadline to fill out a survey on plans for the memorial was extended to November 1.
