A ceremony Thursday afternoon will dedicate a memorial to the six people killed and dozens injured while attending a holiday parade three years ago in Waukesha.
The deaths and injuries occurred when a man drove his SUV through children, senior citizens and others marching in or watching Waukesha’s annual Christmas parade in 2021.
Mary Madden runs the nonprofit United for Waukesha Resiliency Center, which helps survivors and others in the community find peer support and trauma-informed therapy.
Madden says dedicating the $1.5 million, heart-shaped memorial will help ensure victims aren’t forgotten.
“I think also it’s a testimony to the strength of a community coming together after a mass tragedy like this," Madden tells WUWM.
Madden says she has seen other positives, such as an event honoring emergency personnel who responded to the incident.
But she also warns that trauma can manifest itself in many different ways for years to come.
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