WAUKESHA, Wis. — Thursday marks three years since the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy. It’s a day that left the community forever changed.
On Nov. 21, 2021 at 4:39 p.m., Darrell Brooks drove through the annual holiday parade, killing six people and injuring dozens more. Brooks is now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
To honor those lost and impacted, a new memorial was constructed. It will be unveiled Thursday evening at Grede Park, just blocks from the site of the tragedy in downtown Waukesha.
At the heart of the memorial is a 13-foot sculpture shaped like a heart, surrounded by hundreds of tiles crafted by community members. The space will soon be open to the public as a place of reflection and healing.
Local business owners, including Tami Evanoff of Burlap and Lace, played a crucial role during the chaos, opening their doors to shelter parade-goers and assisting the injured.
For Evanoff, the tragedy remains personal.
“I’m still trying to work through some of that,” Evanoff said.
Outside her store, a bench pays tribute to the youngest parade victim, 8-year-old Jackson Sparks.
“I wanted to honor Jackson, so my son-in-law built a bench that we have out in front of the store for him,” Evanoff said.
The healing process continues for the entire community, including first responders who witnessed the traumatic events.
Waukesha Police Captain Dan Baumann explained how a federal grant allowed those in the City of Waukesha to get access to behavioral health services and it’s proving to be a success.
“Group sessions eased officers into one-on-one therapy, and now it’s almost expected,” Baumann said.
Though that federal funding is expiring, organizations like United for Waukesha Resiliency Center and the National Alliance on Mental Illness are stepping up to ensure there is continued mental health support for first responders. They also continue to provide support and resources to those in the community. The grant helped provide therapeutic services for more than 170 first and second responders across Wisconsin that were affected by the parade tragedy.
The phrase “Waukesha Strong” has become a rallying cry for the community. At Burlap and Lace, fundraising efforts have helped support families impacted by the tragedy.
“We’ve been able to donate about $10,000 to the fund,” Evanoff said, crediting her vendors and customers for their generosity.
The new memorial at Grede Park will serve as a permanent tribute to the lives lost and a symbol of the community’s resilience. A dedication ceremony is set to begin at 4:39 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, marking the exact time of the tragedy three years ago.