The Journey to Remember
The National September 11 Memorial and Museum began its journey as the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, a non-profit organization raising funds for the memorial for the victims of the 9/11 attacks. The layout and architecture for the memorial were selected after reviewing numerous entries in an international competition. In 2004, a jury of 13 members chose Michael Arad and Peter Walker’s "Reflecting Absence" as the winner.
A nationwide tour was organized in 2007 to raise awareness and funding for the cause. This four-month tour included 25 cities from across the country in various states. Thousands of people participated in activities arranged by the tour organizers. Several other fundraising events and campaigns were arranged in the following years to increase public interest. One of the most prominent drives was the "Cobblestone Campaign," which allowed donors to sponsor a cobblestone to be placed in a line around the Memorial Plaza.
Several private and government organizations provided funding to make the construction of this memorial and museum a reality. The construction at the World Trade Center site began in March 2006, and after some design alterations, the project budget was set at $500 million.
