OP gives $25,000 to help pay for Hyatt memorial
Overland Park agreed Monday to a $25,000 donation to the Skywalk Memorial Foundation to help fund the construction of a memorial honoring the victims and first responders of the Hyatt Disaster.
The memorial will feature a sculpture in Hospital Hill Park at 23rd Street and Gillham Road in Kansas City.
The collapse of the Kansas City Hyatt skywalk in July 1981 resulted in 114 deaths, with 16 of them Overland Park residents.
The tragedy marks the worst loss of life from a structural failure in national history.
“Your generosity is very much appreciated and I see it as an act of compassion,” Sol Koenigsberg, a 90-year-old survivor of the disaster, told the council. “You are honoring those who were killed and you are honoring yourselves.”
The mayor was touched by Koenigsberg’s words.
“This tragedy is remembered beyond Kansas City, so it’s important to recognize those who were injured or didn’t make it,” replied Mayor Carl Gerlach. “It is an honor.”
This story was originally published June 16, 2015 at 10:45 AM with the headline "OP gives $25,000 to help pay for Hyatt memorial."