When the Lanoka Harbor Fire Department set out to build their 9/11 memorial, they asked for community support in the form of money, time, trades or skills.

The Forked River Rotary Club did just that as they presented a $2,500 check to the fire company at the township committee meeting on Thursday, Sept. 22.

“This memorial, although located at the Lanoka Harbor Firehouse, is truly a township memorial,” Kathy Nelm said. “With the members of the department being the guardians, so to speak, of this piece of our nation’s history.”

Members of the fire department worked diligently on planning the memorial and raising the funds to complete it before the tenth anniversary, Nelm said. But the total amount to complete the project was not raised.

In July, Jerry Pepin, President of the fire department, estimated that the project would cost between five and seven thousand dollars.

The memorial features two six-foot-tall granite towers that weigh just under 2,000 pounds each connected by World Trade Center steel.

“We’re very, very proud to have brought a piece of the World Trade Center back here to Lanoka Harbor and Lacey Township so that all members of the community can come and reflect and be able to pay their respects in the wake of Sept. 11,” said Karen Ziemian, a member of the fire department’s 9/11 Memorial Planning Committee.

The water fountain illuminates blue during the night. With white lights shining and the red from the Lanoka Harbor Fire Department's sign, the memorial lights up red, white and blue - a feature that was not planned, Ziemian said.

The memorial will have benches for the public to sit at and reflect in the future, Ziemian said. The department also plans to add another monumental stone on the left side.

There is a paver walkway in front of the memorial. The public will have the opportunity to purchase pavers and have a dedication inscribed. To purchase a paver call the fire department at 609-693-4998 or Mark Amrozewicz at 732-575-7776.

“[The Rotary Club] is one of the greatest organizations you’ll ever find in a community and the Forked River Rotary Club is tops when it comes to any clubs throughout the world. It’s a worldwide organization and the members of this town give their heart and soul,” Mayor Gary Quinn said.