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98 Points of Light - Stories of Remembrance
The Town of Surfside will be hosting a public meeting for the Surfside Memorial design on Thursday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m. in the Town Commission Chambers.
On Saturday, July 20, at Veteran's Park, the community gathered for the Extinguishing of the Symbolic Remembrance Torch. The event was held at 88th Street and Collins Avenue, beginning at 8:03 p.m., the exact time when the last person was recovered in 2021. Vice Mayor Paul read a poignant poem before the torch was extinguished. The ceremony served as a tribute to the lives lost and the resilience of the community.
🎥Please click here to watch the event recording.On June 24, 2024, the Town of Surfside hosted events to honor the 98 souls tragically taken during the 2021 building collapse. The Town extends a heartfelt thank you to the family members and survivors for their valuable input and participation in this year’s ceremonies. Our community is incredibly grateful to Chief Ray Jadallah and the heroes of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) @miamidadefirerescue for continuing to lovingly show up for Surfside year after year. Thank you to all of the Elected Officials, including Lt. Governor Jeanette Nunez and County Mayor Daniella Levine -Cava, as well as our community partners for standing with us as we remember. #surfsidestrong
Please click here for the preliminary program.If you are planning on attending the Surfside Remembrance Event on Monday, June 24, please note General Parking will be located on 87th Terrace between Collins and Harding Avenues. Surfside Police officers will be on site to assist.If you are a member of the press covering the event, please click here for the media information packet.
On Thursday, June 20, the Town Commission held a Special Workshop for the Surfside Memorial's Design. Please click here to view the recording.
Please join us as we honor the 98 souls lost, along with all those impacted by the devastating June 24, 2021, building collapse. A lighting of the torch ceremony will be held at 1:22 a.m. at Veteran's Park, followed by the 10 a.m. daytime event on 88th Street, the future site of the Surfside memorial.
The Town Commission will be holding a Workshop on Thursday, June 20, with the team at Keith Engineering to discuss design services for the Surfside Memorial on 88th Street.
The Surfside Memorial Committee, convened by Interim Town Manager Marisol Vargas, met for the first time to discuss plans for the third-year Remembrance event. Per the committee members' direction, the event will relocate to 88th Street for this year's ceremony, the future site of the Surfside Memorial.
Please note that the National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee (NCSTAC) will be holding a meeting this Thursday, March 7 in order to review the status of the NCST investigation of the partial collapse of Champlain Towers South. The meeting will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be available to the public via livestream. Download the agenda. View the livestream.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published its report titled Disaster Assistance: Information on the 2021 Condominium Collapse in Surfside, Florida: GAO-24-106558, Disaster Assistance: Information on the 2021 Condominium Collapse in Surfside, Florida
The Town Commission approved Resolution #2023-3220 selecting engineering firm KEITH for the Surfside Memorial Design Services and authorizing contract negotiations by the Town Manager.
The upcoming National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee (NCSTAC) meeting concerning the CTS collapse is scheduled to take place at the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD. The meeting is set for Thursday, September 7, commencing at 9 a.m. and concluding at 5 p.m.
To ensure widespread participation, the event will be accessible both in-person and via a web conference. Interested individuals who wish to attend are required to complete a registration process. Registration entails submitting full name, affiliation with an organization (if applicable), email address, and contact number. All registration details should be forwarded to Taylor Morgan at [email protected]. To secure a spot at the meeting, registrations must be completed no later than Monday, August 28, by 5 p.m.
Further information and details about the meeting can be found on the provided link:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/07/31/2023-16126/national-construction-safety-team-advisory-committee-meeting
On July 20 at 8:03 pm, Elected Officials, Surfside police officers, staff and first responders from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue gathered to extinguish the symbolic remembrance torch lit at 1:22 am on June 24 in memory of the 98 souls lost on June 24, 2021. July 20th at 8:03 pm marks the end of the heroic search and recovery efforts when the final person was recovered.
The Town will discuss a mechanism to accommodate part of the memorial onto private property
In the weeks following the second anniversary of the tragic 2021 building collapse in Surfside, the Town Commission is rallying behind numerous pleas from the community, family members and relatives to ensure a portion of the permanent memorial grounds will have a presence on the site of the former Champlain Towers South (CTS) property which was sold as part of the settlement that was reached by Former Florida Circuit Court Judge Hanzman in 2022. This meeting is seeking to create a framework for a goal that initiated last year with discussions between Mayor Danzinger and DAMAC Properties.
Mayor Danzinger and the Town Commission have called for a Special Meeting on Tuesday, July 25 at 5 p.m. to discuss a process to create a mechanism, that will allow the Town to expand part of the 88th Street Surfside Memorial footprint onto private property.
“We have dedicated significant effort towards securing a portion of the property for the memorial. During my meeting(s) with DAMAC last year, they showed openness to the idea, understanding the significance of this site. It holds a deep emotional connection for survivors, families, and the wider community. It serves as a tangible reminder of the profound loss suffered and the enduring strength that emerged from the tragedy. By securing this land for the memorial, we create a sacred space where individuals can come to reflect, remember, and find solace. I am truly grateful to everyone involved for making this crucial initiative a tangible reality,” said Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger.
The Town recently launched a Request for Qualification (RFQ) to seek qualified design firms to perform architectural, engineering and landscape design services for the Surfside Memorial Project; submissions are due August 3rd.
On June 24 of last month, the Town held its second Remembrance Ceremony event on the lawn of Veterans Park, just across from the site of the collapse. Hundreds of family members, survivors, first responders, community members and Elected Officials came together to honor those impacted by Florida’s worst non-weather-related disaster.
In the weeks leading up to and following the event, many family members continued to express their desire to have a portion of the permanent memorial directly on the former building’s site.
“We hope to find a path forward that will result in a beautiful space of reflection – and to have part of that space coordinated with the Champlain Towers South site,” said Town Manager Hector Gomez.
Surfside Town Hall is located at 9293 Harding Avenue. Meetings are streamed publicly on the Town’s Channel 663, available on www.townofsurfsidefl.gov.
For more information on the Surfside Memorial Project, please visit the Town website.
On Saturday, June 24 at 1:22 a.m., the Town of Surfside hosted a lighting of the torch in order to commemorate the 98 souls lost on June 24, 2021. Mayor Danzinger and Town staff were joined by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Raied Jadallah and Officer Maggie Castro who represented the first responders at the scene. The names of the 98 deceased were also read out loud by Surfside Chief of Police John Healy and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue PIO Erika Benitez.
WATCH THE 2023 REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY VIDEO
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has made available new video interviews of National Construction Safety Team (NCST) members and footage from recent sample concrete coring, as well as videos of presentations made at the June 15, 2023, NCST Advisory Committee meeting.
The two NCST Insider videos feature remote sensing and data visualization project co-leader Georgette Hlepas and project team member Vincent Lee explaining their work. Hlepas discusses the work that the project has been conducting on integrating all of the data from the investigation into an easy-to-use visualization tool to help the teams, while Lee discusses the process of scanning the evidence specimens in 3D in order to provide a digital record of each specimen that can be used by the investigation.
The Town of Surfside learned first-hand that heroes stand among us from all walks of life. On June 24, 2021, and for many weeks after, these individuals and organizations tirelessly poured every ounce of effort, heart and sweat into their support for Surfside when it was most needed. At the June 13 Commission Meeting, Mayor Danzinger and the Town Commission were joined by State Senator Shevin Jones in presenting Town Employees, Surfside Police, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Miami-Dade County Police, Israeli Consul General Maor Elbaz Starinsky on behalf of the State of Israel and Hatzallah of South Florida with the 2023 Surfside Heroes Month proclamation.
Additional honorees include: Fire rescue members for the City of Miami and the City of Miami Beach, all local and out-of-state search and rescue teams, local municipal law enforcement, volunteers from Chessed Shel Emes, Yeddim USA, Jewish Community Services, Red Cross, Global Empowerment Mission, EZS, the Shul and Strong for Surfside.
(Press release excerpt) - The Town is also monitoring investigational updates from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which has been working with federal, state and local authorities to identify and preserve materials and information that will help determine why the collapse occurred.
The National Commission For Scheduled Tribes (NCST) Advisory Committee to the Surfside collapse will be holding a meeting that will include updates on nondestructive testing and other work related to the investigation on Wednesday, June 14 from Maryland which can also be viewed online. Please click here for more updates from the NIST investigation.
(Press release excerpt) - Surfside is currently working on plans for a permanent memorial on 88th Street just a few feet away from the Champlain Towers building site. An informal Memorial Committee provided ideas and input for a commemorative remembrance park. An RFP for Professional Landscaping Services has officially been launched to initiate the project. The Pre-Submittal Meeting will be held on Thursday, June 29 at 10 a.m. in the Commission Chambers.
Town of Surfside Planning Second Annual Surfside Remembrance Event
SURFSIDE, Fla. — This June marks two years since the worst non-weather-related disaster in Florida’s history, the Champlain Towers South building collapse in Surfside. To commemorate the 98 souls lost and all those impacted around the world, the Town will be hosting a second Surfside Remembrance Event on Saturday, June 24 at 10 a.m.
The ceremony will take place on the green lawn at Veterans Park located at 8750 Collins Avenue, directly across from the site of the former building.
Family members, survivors, local Elected Officials and community members will be on hand for the second consecutive year to pay their respects to all those affected.
“June 24, 2021 marked a devastating tragedy that profoundly impacted countless lives. From the grieving families who lost their loved ones that fateful night to the individuals whose lives were forever altered, the effects were far-reaching. Our Remembrance Ceremony serves as a poignant occasion to honor and cherish the memory of those we have lost and acknowledge the profound impact on all those affected. It also presents an opportunity to reflect on the remarkable display of compassion and assistance demonstrated by numerous individuals during this challenging time, highlighting the innate kindness and unity that resides within us as human beings,”said Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger.
Due to the event timing coinciding with Sabbath, Mayor Danzinger will be unable to lead the ceremony because of religious observance, but will be in attendance
Vice Mayor Jeffrey Rose leads the daytime ceremony on behalf of the Town. In addition to the 10 a.m. event, there will be a symbolic lighting of the torch at 1:22 a.m. led by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Raied Jadallah and an exhibition display featuring items from the Wall of Hope Memorial which were preserved by HistoryMiami Museum from 9 a.m. to noon on event day.
Last year, the Town held the first remembrance event at the former building site thanks to permission from a court-appointed Special Master. The site was eventually sold to a developer and is now private property.
Surfside is currently working on plans for a permanent memorial on 88th Street just a few feet away from the Champlain building site. A Memorial Committee comprised of relatives of the 98 deceased provided ideas and input for a commemorative remembrance park. An RFP for Professional Landscaping Services has been launched to initiate the project.
Since the memorial has yet to be established, the Town selected Veteran’s Park, often the location for the Town’s most ceremonious events, as the best possible site for this year’s event.
“We are looking forward to creating a beautiful memorial on 88th Street where we can also host these annual remembrance events. This year, we are organizing a more intimate, personal event than the previous year,” said Town Manager Hector Gomez.
The Town is also monitoring investigational updates from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which has been working with federal, state and local authorities to identify and preserve materials and information that will help determine why the collapse occurred.
The National Commission For Scheduled Tribes (NCST) Advisory Committee to the Surfside collapse will be holding a meeting that will include updates on nondestructive testing and other work related to the investigation at 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 15 from Maryland which can also be viewed online.
Please click here for more updates from the NIST investigation.
The Town of Surfside held a Surfside Memorial Committee meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss ideas and a pathway to a permanent memorial. Some members participated in person at Town Hall while others joined via Zoom.
Last month, the final temporary windscreen memorial located along the site fence on Collins Avenue sustained damage and needed to be removed. The anchor rivets became loose and were no longer able to hold up the banner's full weight. Please note work is anticipated to begin soon on the reopening of the third lane on Collins Avenue and the relocation of the fence.
The Town of Surfside's Remembrance Committee met on Monday, September 19 with representatives from DAMAC Properties and Safadie Architects to begin discussions around a permanent memorial.
The Town of Surfside will be re-engaging its Surfside Remembrance Committee on Monday, September 19 at 6 p.m. to begin discussions surrounding a permanent memorial honoring the 98 souls lost in the building collapse of June 24, 2021.
The Committee will be expanding with additional family members joining the first group which also includes representation from Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s Office. Surfside Town Manager Andrew Hyatt will also support the Committee.
"Our community continues to mourn the loss of our 98 family members, friends and neighbors each and every day. Not a single day goes by without us remembering. The passing of time serves only to reaffirm our commitment to a proper, permanent site of remembrance on or as close to the land as possible. I am grateful and optimistic that DAMAC and Safadie are taking the time to meet with and hear directly from the family members and the Town,” said Danzinger.
In June, the Town and Committee organized a series of poignant events to mark the first anniversary of the collapse. A public event was held on June 24 with participation from family members, survivors, first responders and elected officials including First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis among others. The Florida Legislature also paid their respects by designating that portion of Collins Avenue as “98 Points of Light Way.” Family members and first responders were on hand for the unveiling ceremony held last month.
Earlier this summer, the Town unveiled a temporary windscreen banner with the names of each of the 98 which reads “Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Brothers, Sisters. 98 Souls, Forever in Our Hearts.” Now that DAMAC has acquired the land, the banner will likely have to come down in the coming weeks.
All Surfside Remembrance Committee meetings are public and streamed live on the Town’s website. Watch on Channel 663.
Monday, September 19 at 6 p.m.9293 Harding Avenue, Town Commission Chambers, 2nd Floor.
WATCH THE PUBLIC REMEMBRANCE EVENT.
On Friday, June 24, 2022, hundreds gathered as the Town of Surfside honored the 98 souls tragically lost on June 24, 2021.
On Wednesday, July 20 at 8:09 p.m., the Town of Surfside held a gathering alongside Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) to extinguish the symbolic torch burning in honor of the 98 souls lost last year. The date marked one year since the last of the 98 was recovered.