watchungbricks

Township Unveils Mischa Zimmermann Memorial (Press Release)

The Township of Montclair, in close cooperation with the family of the late Mischa Zimmermann, unveiled a unique and lasting tribute to the young man who died on February 1st, 2005. In a ceremony attended by scores of family members and friends, a memorial plaque designed by architect Kevin Lee Allen was unveiled and two New York City-style chess and checker tables with seats were dedicated in Watchung Plaza. Several people spoke including Robbie Hartnett, Mischa’s closest boyhood friend, Peter Zimmermann, Mischa’s father, and Debbie Drucker Dillingham, Mischa’s cousin, one of the driving forces behind the project. Mischa’s parents, relatives and friends, and Kids Helping Kids supporters raised $10,000 via the sale of engraved bricks and the Township purchased the concrete chess tables, the same kind Mischa loved to play on in New York City’s Washington Square Park while a student at New York University.

Kevin Allen’s bronze and lexan memorial tells the story of Mischa on one side and Kids Helping Kids, the organization Mischa founded, on the other. The brickwork in the Plaza was substantially expanded and plantings of perennial and annual flowers will be completed in the Spring. The Watchung Plaza Merchants Association donated half the cost of one of the chess tables and two of the merchants, Piazza della Sole and Watchung Booksellers will store and loan out the chess sets donated by town Mayor Remsen and his wife Diane Wiley.

“We are extremely grateful for Mayor Remsen’s leadership on this project”, stated Henia Drucker, Mischa’s mother. “Ed and his family have been friends of the family for years and their son Chris and Misch were soccer teammates and part of the first trip to England several years ago. Ed asked Kevin Allen to donate his time and talent and also involved several key people from the Township: Public Works Supervisor Rob Bianco, Township Engineer Kim Craft, Shade Tree Superintendent Kevin Ward, and Township Council Assistant Sara Gilbertson. What they came up with is a wonderful remembrance of Mischa and a facility that will be enjoyed by people for many years to come. We hope this will become a destination for both kids and adults to use and enjoy and to learn about the power of hope and compassion”. Kids Helping Kids plans a fundraising chess tournament at the site in the late Spring. Details will be announced and posted on kidshelping.org.

Additional engraved bricks may be purchased here.

Each brick can accommodate 3 lines of text with up to 13 characters per line, including spaces & punctuation. The cost per brick is $100.00.
Name ___________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________
Phone ____________________________________________________ Email _____________________________________________________ Brick Inscription (Please print clearly):    __________________________________________________________   __________________________________________________________   __________________________________________________________ Number of bricks ordered: _______ @ $100 each (Please use a separate sheet for additional inscriptions.) Total amount enclosed $__________ 
To order or ask questions, please feel to call 973.783.0697, or email bricks@kidshelping.org, or mail your form and a check made out to Kids Helping Kids, Inc. to:
Kids Helping Kids, 229 Midland Ave., Montclair, NJ 07042 THANK YOU !