Group plans 9-11 event

 With 100 days remaining until the 20th anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, local officials are ramping up efforts for a special ceremony to honor those who gave their all. Plans were announced Thursday at a press conference held at the Jaffa Shrine Center for a Remember 9/11 ceremony, which is being organized by a committee made up of members of the community. The event, planned for September, aims to embrace the principles of faith, patriotism, and civic pride. “We are remembering the precious lives that were lost, celebrating the American spirit and once again recognizing first responders who serve our community,” committee member Tony DeGol said. The commemoration ceremony is set to be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Jaffa Shrine Center. The event will be the third commemoration the Jaffa Shrine Center has hosted since 2001, with previous events held in 2006 and 2016. “Those first responders were heroes, and every one of us recognizes that,” Blair County President Commissioner Bruce Erb said. “We are so grateful to them for their brave and selfless service.” Project organizers said the commemoration will remember not only those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001 but how America bonded together in a time of peril. Pastor Gary Dull, who is a co-chair of the event committee, said he is hoping the event will spark a sense of “greater unity across America” that he believes has been lost. “Let’s use this as an opportunity to teach younger generations of the sorrow of that tragic day so that for the sake of our prosperity, they will unite with other races, creeds, and political parties to make America a nation that will stand strong for faith, patriotism and civic pride for many years to come,” he said. The ceremony will open with a Walk of Honor to recognize local first responders and military, who can register to participate at www.911-anniversary.weebly.com. “While none of us knows what peril awaits us as we go to work each day, these brave men and women obviously face unique risks on every call to which they respond,” DeGol said. “We stand with them.” Following the Walk of Honor, a program will take place inside the Jaffa Shrine Center and will include a virtual welcome video from Pittsburgh Steelers and Hall of Fame running back Rocky Bleier. The program’s keynote speaker will be James O’Brien, who served as a former Deputy Director of Operational Tests and Evaluation for the United States government. He served 15 years in the Pentagon and was inside the building during the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, program producer Pam Etters said. The program will include performances from the Altoona Community Band, Altoona Youth Orchestra, Hollidaysburg Community Chorus, the Jaffa Highlanders and other local musicians. Committee member Duane Bordell said 3,200 tickets will be available at no charge starting Aug. 2, and the tickets will be distributed at 11 local locations, including the Jaffa Shrine Center. “We’ve been working very hard to put this together, and we hope to have all 3,200 seats filled,” Bordell said. Source:-https://www.altoonamirror.com/znewsletter-sunday/2021/06/group-plans-9-11-event-2/
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