Wellington will join the rest of the nation next week to observe the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
On Thursday, Sept. 11 at 6 p.m., the Wellington Village Council will host a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at the Wellington Patriot Memorial, located at 12198 W. Forest Hill Blvd. near the Wellington Municipal Complex. The entire community is invited to attend.
“We feel it is important to keep the memory alive of those who were affected and lost their lives that day,” Community Programs Manager Michelle Garvey said.
Wellington’s memorial hosts a piece of steel from the World Trade Center wreckage. The memorial is designed to honor both the victims of 9/11 and all first responders who put the needs of others ahead of themselves. “Since we have the steel on our property, we feel it is important to honor that and have a remembrance ceremony every year,” Garvey said.
This year, Wellington resident John Napolitano, who lost his son, FDNY Lt. John P. Napolitano, on Sept. 11, 2001, will serve as the guest speaker.
“I think it really makes it real for those of us who might not have been personally affected,” Garvey said of Napolitano’s participation. “To hear the story of someone in our community, I think that’s an important part of our program.”
As in the past, the Wellington Landings Middle School student government president and vice president will also be guest speakers. The students will begin the ceremony, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and reading from The Legacy Letters, a collection of letters from 100 of the families who lost loved ones that day.
Though next week will mark 13 years, the wounds of 9/11 are still fresh for many, and the Patriot Memorial has proven to be a place of comfort.
Steel Beam C-46, formerly from the South Tower of the World Trade Center, arrived in Wellington on Dec. 4, 2010. The memorial, including the beam, an eternal flame and etched glass panels, was dedicated on Sept. 11, 2011, ten years after the towers fell.
Sponsorships for the memorial, such as personalized brick pavers, are still available.
For additional information about the event, call (561) 791-4005 or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov.
ABOVE: The Wellington Patriot Memorial.
