Harrisburg Tornado Victims' Memorial

Old National donates funding and land.

Family members of the tornado victims and Harrisburg Mayor Eric Gregg prepare to break ground for the special memorial.

On February 29, 2012, an F4 tornado hit Harrisburg, Ill. killing 8 people and injuring many more. The lives lost and vast devastation deeply affected the entire community including many Old National associates and clients.

Herb Klickner, Old National Market President, has been instrumental in leading the relief efforts since the tornado tore through Southern Illinois last year. He serves on a memorial committee of community leaders who have been raising funds to purchase a special monument to honor the victims who lost their lives. In addition to funding, Old National has donated the land for the memorial, which is near the Old National banking center at 719 Rollie Moore Drive. This banking center also suffered extensive damage in the storm.

A special milestone was celebrated this past December, when a groundbreaking ceremony for the memorial was held. Family members of the victims were there with shovels in hand. Harrisburg Mayor Eric Gregg, Fire Chief Bill Summers, chair of the memorial committee, Herb Klickner and some of the family members all spoke at the event.

"Mayor Gregg and Chief Summers spoke very highly of Old National and thanked us for our support," said Herb. "And several family members thanked me for what we have done to help the community and to memorialize their lost loved ones. All were grateful and some teary eyed, when I told them we wanted each family to keep the shovels they held at the groundbreaking."

The goal is to have the memorial in place before the first anniversary of the storm.