Events around Monroe County honor victims of 9/11 and first responders
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It has been 23 years since nearly 3,000 people were killed in the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The Rochester area is remembering the victims of the attack with ceremonies on Wednesday. Here’s our coverage of those ceremonies:
Highland Park
The Veterans Outreach Center honored the lives lost on Sept. 11 with the ceremony “Operation We Remember”. It began at 10:30 a.m. at the Gary Beikirch Memorial Park within Highland Park.
This year’s guest speaker was Fishers Fire District Chief Steve Tschiderer, who has said that Sept. 11 impacted the trajectory of his life, serving as a firefighter and in the military. You can see a livestream of the ceremony here:
Brockport Fire District
The Brockport Fire District and the Brockport Volunteer Firefighters Association is holding a day-long vigil in memory of the victims of 9/11.
The ceremony takes place at the Firefighters Memorial Monument on South Main Street, created just months after 9/11. The monument includes a steel beam from the World Trade Center.
The ceremony started at 8:30 a.m. Across from the memorial, the firefighter’s museum has 343 tags representing every firefighter who died during 9/11. The tags have each person’s name and assignment with the FDNY. As people ring the memorial bell at the monument, they’ll wear the tags in memory of the fighters.
A uniformed honor guard will remain in place until 6 p.m. The closing ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will include the playing of Taps. News10NBC TODAY was live with a preview of the ceremony:
Monroe Community College
The MCC Student Government Association held a ceremony in memory of the victims of 9/11. It began at 8 a.m. at the Brighton Campus outside the PAC Center.
There was a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. at the 9/11 memorial on the campus. Mayor Malik Evans delivered the keynote address, along with MCC President Dr. DeAnna Burt-Nanna and others.
Rochester Institute of Technology
A ceremony at RIT honored the lives lost on 9/11 and recognized the bravery of first responders. The ceremony included musical tributes and a moment of silence.
It began at 8:30 a.m. in front of the Sentinel on the RIT Campus. Cadets from the Rochester area Air Force and Army programs played taps at 8:46 a.m., 9:03 a.m., 9:37 a.m., and 10:03 a.m.
Irondequoit Town Hall
Irondequoit Town Hall on Titus Avenue held a remembrance ceremony. It started at 8:46 a.m. and was held in partnership with the Irondequoit Police Department.
Brighton Fire Department
The Brighton Fire Department honored the victims on 9/11 by placing flags outside its fire station.