On Sunday, the annual Waukesha Christmas Parade became the scene of a horrific tragedy. Lives were lost during the middle of what should have been a celebration. We are all hurting.
 
I know that our community will not be defined by this event. I am overwhelmed by the ways our community has been coming together and working together. Please continue to reach out to your neighbors and check on one another. Be there for the victims in any way that you can. If you need help, please go get help. The only way forward is by being there for each other.
 
I send my sincere thank you to everyone that assisted with our emergency response and provided support for our community in countless ways. Despite this tragedy, we are blessed to live in Waukesha.

Mayor Shawn Reilly
Updates
For the most current information, make sure to follow the City of Waukesha on Facebook and Twitter.
Friends and Family Resource Center
There is a Friends and Family Resource Center open at Carroll University (100 N. East Ave.) in the Campus Center Ballroom.

The Resource Center is providing mental health services, counselors and other assistance.

The resource center will be open on Wednesday, November 24 from 9am-1pm.
Help is Available
In addition to the resource center above, help is available for all who need it.

  • You can call or text 1-800-985-5990 to be connected to a trained, caring counselor. They are available 24/7.

  • The District Attorney Victim Assistance Program is also available to assist. You can email [email protected]
Personal Belongings
Many personal items were left at the scene of the parade on Sunday. The City of Waukesha Police Department is working to connect items with their owners (wallets, keys, etc.).
 
If the items did not have identification (chairs, blankets, etc), they will be at the City of Waukesha's Park, Recreation and Forestry Department (1900 Aviation Drive). You can pick the items up on Wednesday, November 24 or Monday, November 29 from 8am-4:30pm.
Ways to Help
We know many in the community are already doing so much. Here are additional ways to help:
Other City Information
  • Garbage/Recycling - Collections are impacted by the Thanksgiving holiday. There will be no collections on Thursday, November 25. Normal Thursday collections will take place on Friday, November 26 and normal Friday collections will take place on Saturday, November 27.


  • Library Closure- The Waukesha Public Library will be closed to the public from November 29- December 3 due to electrical work being done as part of the ongoing construction project.
Small Business Saturday
This Saturday, November 27 is Small Business Saturday. Small businesses are a big part of what makes Waukesha Great. Many of our local businesses have portions of their sales going to the United for Waukesha Community Fund to support the families impacted by the tragedy.

This Saturday, shop small and support our local community.
Spread Joy
There are many ways both large and small that we can lift each other up during this time.

The City will once again be doing the holiday lights map. We encourage you to decorate your home and provide the information here. Once we have some submittals the map will go live for everyone to view decorated homes.
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