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This is the story of Flight 93 and the extraordinary acts of heroism by its passengers.

If you and your children know these basic facts, Sharon Deitrick has achieved an important part of her goal.

The Canton native is Ohio’s only member of the National Campaign for Flight 93’s steering committee, the organization charged with raising funds to pay for a national memorial in honor of Flight 93’s heroes.

Deitrick, now living in Akron, is a Lincoln High School graduate and attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School during her elementary years.

The campaign’s effort so far has raised $22 million, with $10 million to go. That will be half of the $64 million needed to pay for the memorial, with the rest government-funded.

Educating everyone about Flight 93 is what Deitrick sees as the bigger picture.

As president of the architectural design firm, Deitrick & Associates, she makes many presentations when bidding for jobs. More often than not, she will end her meetings with, “May I have five minutes to tell you about ‘93 Cents for Flight 93’?”

GETTING INVOLVED

Prior to 9/11, Deitick had design jobs and many friends and family members living in the Washington, D.C., area.

She would drive there often. Several times a year, she and her friends would meet at a bed and breakfast in Somerset County, Pa. The county is home to Shanksville, the tiny town where Flight 93 crashed.

“It was halfway between here and D.C. off Exit 10 on the turnpike,” she said.

On September 11, 2001, Deitrick was home with bronchitis. She watched live news coverage as the terror of the day unfolded.

She remembers her sister calling from her car outside the pentagon where she witnessed one of the hijacked planes crash.

Deitrick recalls also praying with a friend on the phone when hearing of another plane, and saying, “Let’s pray that it does not hit the Capitol.”

“There was a joint session that day. That was where Flight 93 was headed,” Deitrick said. “The countless lives they saved.”

Soon after the crash of Flight 93, Deitrick contacted the owners of the bed and breakfast near Shanksville and asked what she could do to help.

What transpired was weekly trips to Somerset County to help plan the first anniversary service.

Although she had no experience in fundraising, she put into action her personal motto, P.T.O. — Think, Pray, Act.

Half a million dollars was needed because they had to build roads into the remote field, a platform for the press, utilities, a cell phone tower, and provide busing and security.

“By the grace of God, we raised over $1 million,” said Deitrick, who designed and sold an anniversary medallion as part of her efforts.

“It was difficult,” she continued, “because five months after 9/11 there was 9/11 fatigue. People wouldn’t donate. As devastating and overwhelming as it was, we have a short-term memory. We are the most generous nation in the world in the moment.”

MOVING FORWARD

Following the first anniversary, Deitrick was named to the Flight 93 Task Force, a committee established to create a national memorial.

Its duties included getting input from the families of Flight 93, the National Park Service, and citizens of Somerset County on the development and design of the memorial.

In 2007, she joined the Steering Committee of the National Campaign for Flight 93 under the direction of the National Park Service.

Early on, the board members were challenged to raise $250,000 each. When they met in San Antonio, Texas, they were asked how they planned to do it.

“People were talking about millions and half millions. When I said my initiative is ‘93 Cents for Flight 93,’ there was only silence in the room,” said Deitrick with a chuckle.

Why the small amount of 93 cents?

“I believe it will be the youth of this generation who will tell the story of Flight 93,” explained Deitrick, who credits Suzanne Donohoe, a HALO Board member with the idea. (HALO is Deitrick’s charitable foundation. It stands for Hope Always Lives On.)

“We knew that we wanted a grass roots effort that was geared to our inter-generational approach of engaging youth’s energy with the wisdom of age. Our area has been hit so much by the economy that we wanted it to be doable,” said Deitrick. “Suzanne said, ‘How about 93 cents?’ I said, ‘That’s it! 93 cents for Flight 93!’”

Deitrick goes into schools and presents the story of Flight 93. In turn, students come up with ways to raise money for the memorial. Some of those ways have been by creating videos, websites, books, and graphic novels or just asking everyone to give up a candy bar or can of pop and donate the change in their pocket.

“Once they know the story, the challenge to raise 93 cents should be possible,” she said.

COMING HOME

Last Fall, Deitrick visited the former Lincoln High School building for the first time since attending there in the 1970’s.

She was bidding on a job to renovate the bathrooms of what is now Heritage Christian School. Before she left, she gave Administrator Brian Brooks what she calls her usual line:

“May I have five minutes to tell you about ‘93 Cents for Flight 93?’”

The school is Stark County’s first to join her efforts.

Brooks says they are a natural fit because they teach students to live an outwardly focused life.

“It’s easy to pull 93 cents out of your pocket, but the idea is to do a service in the community. Instead of putting money in the machine, donate it. Give up something. Self sacrifice is the important message.”

The program requires that student leaders do presentations at their schools.

Because, said Deitrick, new history books have one partial sentence about Flight 93, this may be the only way to get the story told.

Brooks’ daughter, Ruthanne, a freshmen, has embraced her role.

“It’s amazing that they rallied together and said we need to stop this,” she said of 93’s passengers.

Senior Anthony DeMarco said his mom first told him the story of Flight 93.

“It’s amazing to believe in this world that people would come together to stop something evil. What would we do in their shoes?” he asked.

“What would I do, there’s the lesson,” said Brooks. “Forty people going about their routine. Lives were interrupted and terminated. You do not know when you will be called upon to do something.”

Deitrick’s passion gets people involved.

“I’m a very strong Christian. And there’s something about the Holy Spirit that inspires the hearts of youth to want to do something. If children see a need, they will try to do something,” said Deitrick, who hopes fellow alumni from Lincoln High School will join Heritage Christian in their efforts.

The first phase of the memorial is done and was dedicated Saturday. President Barack Obama will visit today.

The memorial so far includes a walkway that follows the flight path of Flight 93 in its final moments. The path leads to a white marble memorial wall containing the names of the passengers and crew. The memorial plaza offers a view the crash site, which will not be disturbed.

Future additions will include a visitors center and a 93-foot carillon containing 40 bells.

So far, with Deitrick’s efforts, more than 75,000 students and senior citizens have raised more than $74,000.

Through her education endeavors, Dietrick travels with students about four times per year to the memorial site, most recently with Heritage Christian students. She believes the story is one too often ignored by the media.

“I promised the families of Flight 93 that for the rest of my life, I would do what I could do to make sure history is kinder to the memory of Flight 93,” Dietrick said.