North Township first responders are looking for an outpouring of support from the community to make the dream of a memorial for fallen first responders a reality.

It was just a little more than a year ago when Highland Police Cmdr. John Banasiak approached North Township about the idea of a permanent monument dedicated to fallen police officers, firefighters and emergency medical service personnel at Wicker Memorial Park. 

“Highland has, sadly, lost two police officers in the line of duty,” Banasiak said. “Our town has named parks in memory of Donald R. Sheppard and Robert J. Markley and have dedicated monuments in the parks to those officers, but I wanted to do more to ensure those in the township who have made the ultimate sacrifice are never forgotten.”

Mrvan embraced the plan and began working with Banasiak to assemble a coalition of first responders from Whiting, East Chicago, Hammond, Munster and Highland.

Dean Savarino, president of Dean’s Landscaping of Schererville, as well as Kevin Nordyke and Shelley Marshall of Hillside Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Highland, have created a rendering and video of the monument. Visit NTTfallenheroes.org for a walk-through of the memorial.

“Since it was dedicated nearly a century ago, Wicker Memorial Park has been a serene setting for people to honor and remember those who have given their lives in service to our country,” the trustee said. “It seems fitting for the park to also be a place of reflection and memorializing our first responders who have made the ultimate sacrifice as they protected us here at home.”

Fallen First Responders Memorial Capital Fund Drive Whether it’s an investment in a brick or a bench, the Fallen First Responders Memorial Committee urges the community to support the effort to create a permanent memorial to North Township police officers, fire fighters and emergency medical services personnel who have died in the line of duty.

“We have received the names of nearly 30 North Township first responders who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect all of us,” the trustee said. “These individuals are remarkable heroes, who run into danger when logic would tell any one of us to run the other way.”

Please visit our website: NTTfallenheroes.org to donate today. Options include:

• Personalized 4” X 8” brick: $50
• Personalized 8” X 8” brick: $100
• Individuals can receive a duplicate personalized “keepsake” brick for an additional cost – $25 for the 4-inch and $50 for the 8-inch brick.
• Granite bench with donor’s name on the face of the bench: $5,000
• Granite bench with donor’s name in large type on the pedestal: $2,500
• Granite bench with donor’s name in smaller type on the pedestal: $1,000