INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Hoosiers across the state took part in ceremonies to remember September 11, 2001.

In downtown Indianapolis, many came to the 9/11 memorial on West Ohio Street to pay their respects, share their stories and have a moment of silence to remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost – including nine Hoosiers.

After a somber moment of silence, the 9/11 Memorial Committee announced their plans to expand the 9/11 Memorial into an even bigger space. The committee also launched a fundraising campaign to help support the expansion of the memorial.

The committee also announced the new name for the space from the “Indianapolis 9/11 Memorial” to the “Indiana 9/11 Memorial” so that everyone in the state knows the memorial is also for them.

New renderings show what they envision the memorial to look like by September 11, 2021.

They want to expand the wall already at the memorial about 10 feet. They will also mount an 800 lb stone that was part of the damaged wall from the Pentagon. It was a dedicated in Indianapolis back in 2014, but now will be a permanent part of the memorial, being mounted with a view of the canal behind it. Also, the committee plans to plant another Survivor Tree at the site.

The memorial was the idea of Indianapolis firefighter Greg Hess. He spent eight days at Ground Zero with other first responders in lower Manhattan. He says, the goal of the memorial isn’t for him – it’s to have a place where people can come and tell stories about what happened on 9/11/2001, not just today but for years to come.

“[It means] that people haven’t forgotten and that we need to remember,” said Hess. “The reason I had this idea is I wanted kids, your grandkids and their kids to be able to touch a piece of history and not just read it on a computer.”

The committee says the goal is to raise about $450,000 in the next 6 months to a year to fund all of the expansion efforts. They say no state dollars will be used for the project. They open to unveil the new memorial on September 11, 2021.

To donate or more information, go to Indiana911Memorial.org