Jan. 8 memorial hopes to break ground next year

Organizers of Tucson’s January 8th Memorial Foundation announced Friday that they’re hopeful to begin construction on part of the memorial in 2016.

The foundation has already raised close to $1 million for the memorial in El Presidio Park to commemorate the six people killed and 13 wounded in the Jan. 8, 2011, mass shooting on the northwest side, said executive director Crystal Kasnoff.

A public fundraising campaign for the memorial is getting ready to launch in the spring, but Kasnoff said they’ve received an outpouring of community support since the defeat of the Pima County bonds package in November’s election.

The Jan. 8th memorial and El Presidio Park redesign project would have received $25 million in funding, had the bond passed. The memorial will be outside the old county courthouse.

“We’ve raised significant funds on the private side through foundations and individuals, who have given gifts or made pledges,” Kasnoff said. “We also have some private donors who are getting ready to make pledges.”

The foundation is hopeful to receive some state and federal funding for the memorial, and Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckleberry has said the county will also participate in the project.

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The memorial is estimated to cost $4 million, and will be the first phase of the park redesign.

Final plans for the memorial will be released Jan. 15.

The foundation also announced two events to commemorate the five-year anniversary of the shooting.

• On Friday, Jan. 8, the fifth anniversary bell ringing will take place at 9:50 a.m. on the front lawn of Banner-University Medical Center Tucson, 1501 N Campbell Ave. Special guests and survivors of the shooting will be in attendance.
• On Thursday, Jan. 14, a moment of recognition will be held during halftime at the University of Arizona basketball game against Washington at McKale Center.

Plus, there typically are several public events in the Tucson area on and around Jan. 8 to commemorate the event.

Many — mainly outdoors — are organized by Beyond Tucson, which was founded on the first anniversary of the shooting by family and friends of Gabe Zimmerman, a congressional aide killed in the shooting.