INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower will be displayed in front of the Indiana Convention Center during the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in June at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Latinas Welding Guild undertook the ambitious and highly visible project. Jessica Rodriguez Hernandez, deputy director of the group, said, “The Eiffel Tower is going to be 66 feet tall. Obviously, this is an enormous project for us. It’s something that we’ve been curating close to an entire year.”

Founded with the mission to empower Latina women through welding, the group is no stranger to challenging projects. But, the Eiffel Tower is its biggest project ever.

“Obviously, this is a huge project so it won’t even fit in and out of our doors. So, it’s been really nice to work on it in sections. It’ll then go out to be painted after that. We will do a dry fit to make sure all the work we’ve done, everything aligns and is good to go,” Hernandez said.

The women of the guild say they poured their skills, dedication and Hoosier hard work into every weld.

Welding instructor Jomar Molina said, “There is going to be a seating area. The seats will have little Eiffel Tower logos so it will look really nice. It’ll be painted either black or yellow, like the Eiffel Tower.”

“The fact that they chose us in a small community is honestly amazing because this is a big opportunity for us. It’s putting us on the map. Honestly, to even be a part of this tower is amazing.”

Hernandez said, “Being able to see that this entire build is being done by 100% diverse welders — we have over 50% women and 80% of the team is Latino — that is beautiful to see. I think sometimes we underestimate the magnitude of the Latino community in construction and building.”

When the tower is unveiled, the group hopes it’ll be a beacon of pride and accomplishment for all Hoosiers.

Dan Gliot is senior director of marketing and communications for Indiana Sports Corp, which is tasked with bringing world-class sporting events to the state.

Gliot said of the miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower, “This is really going to be the centerpiece of our downtown activation for the trials. This is the most ‘Instagramable’ moment here June 15-23 connecting Indianapolis to the Paris Olympics.”

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