Hoffman Estates children's memorial under way

Work on the Hoffman Estates children's memorial has finally begun after almost five years of waiting.

The $30,000 memorial to local children who've died was funded by private donations and should be finished by mid-September, said Scott Triphahn, head of the children's memorial commission.

Workers began clearing trees on the site Tuesday and could start pouring concrete next week.

The commission was created in 2004, thanks to former Trustee Ed Frank.

"It's been a long time coming, and I hope that it helps a lot of parents and relative that have lost kids over the past 50 years in Hoffman Estates," Frank said Wednesday.

The memorial will feature five bronze statues of children, as well as an area to place flowers. The main area is for memorial bricks inscribed with a child's name and dates of birth and death.

The project had stalled as commissioners debated who should be included. Originally, the memorial was meant to honor children who died before the age of 19. But some members argued any parent who'd lost a child, regardless of age, should still be allowed to have that child memorialized.

The debate continued until a compromise was reached to accept memorials for people 22 and younger.

The memorial is for people who were native to Hoffman Estates, attended its schools or whose deaths have affected young people living in the village, said Triphahn, who's also a park district commissioner.

The memorial will be erected near the entrance to village hall off Hassell Road. Bricks will cost $75, and so far only one has been purchased, Triphahn said.

"Until we start building and people see what we have, people aren't going to buy a brick," he said.

Frank said was inspired after reading a story many years ago in the Daily Herald about a child being run over by a car. Frank also credited current Fire Chief Robert Gorvett with the idea, as Gorvett shared with Frank the loss firefighters feels when they can't save a child.

Anyone interested in purchasing a brick or getting more information should contact the village at (847) 882-9100.