When the American Airlines jet slammed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, Westlake resident Bobby Farber was close enough to feel the heat from the fireball that roiled into the perfect autumn blue sky of Sept. 11, 2001.
“I didn’t see a plane. I just heard what sounded like a sonic boom, looked up and saw this huge, orange fireball,” recalled Farber, who was doing electrical work at the corner of West and Liberty streets when the first plane hit at 8:46 a.m.
When the second plane hit at 9:03 a.m., debris was everywhere. Farber told his partner in Local 3 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers that it was time to leave.
In the days after the attack, a stench still pungent in the air, Farber returned to the area and worked for weeks helping to restore power.
As Farber prepares for the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the first 9/11 remembrance in his adopted community of Westlake, he still feels that heat in his soul, he said this week.
“Sometimes people find their passion, and sometimes their passion finds them. It’s a bit of both with this,” said Farber, who has spent much of the last year organizing a remembrance event to be held at the Westlake Adventure Park (16610 Town Center Parkway North) at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11.
The Adventure Park event is open to Westlake residents only. However, a City of Westlake event the next day is open to everyone who wants to participate.
On Saturday, Sept. 12, the third annual Westlake 5K Run/Walk will get underway at 7:30 a.m., this year also focused on 9/11 remembrance. It will be held at the corner of Persimmon Blvd. and Ilex Way.
The entry fee for competitive racers is $40, with every registered participant receiving a personalized race bib with a timing chip, event shirt and finisher’s medal, according to www.runsignup.com, where people can register.
Westlake’s web site emphasizes that participants of all ages and fitness levels are encouraged to join in the fun as “an opportunity to get outdoors, challenge yourself, cheer on your neighbors and experience the energy of a community coming together.”
Westlake Mayor JohnPaul O’Connor said proceeds from the run will be split between local schools and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a nonprofit founded in memory of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who died while responding to the attacks. The foundation supports fallen and catastrophically injured military members and first responders and their families.
Westlake Councilman Eric Gleason, who as a Long Island volunteer firefighter rode an ambulance into Manhattan only hours after the towers collapsed, said that “9/11 is something close to my heart. It was a difficult time.”
Gleason, who later served as a New York City police officer and is now a commander with the Miami Gardens Police Department, said he’s glad to see such recognition occurring in Westlake — adding that he hopes for a permanent 9/11 memorial in the 50-acre regional park still in its early stages off Seminole Pratt Whitney Road.
This year, Farber became an official “Proud Supporter” of Tunnel to Towers to add credibility to his efforts. He also set up a fundraising page that has garnered some $3,200. Farber has a goal of $5,000 with “100 percent of it going to the foundation,” he said.
There has been an outpouring of support from local organizations, understanding that the event is not only to honor the 2,977 killed in the 9/11 attacks, Farber explained, but also those first responders who ran toward the burning towers, worked at Ground Zero in the weeks and months after the attacks, and the police officers, firefighters and others who are today’s first line of protection.
Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office will be represented at the 9/11 event, according to Farber’s 911 Remembrance and First Responder Group Facebook page. Also on hand will be O’Connor and other city officials, representatives of the Seminole Improvement District, Girl Scout Troop 24570 and the Acreage Pines Elementary School chorus.
“There’ll be a color guard and a bugler playing ‘Taps,’” Farber added. “I think this is really an important thing in a community that’s supposed to be blue collar and is a home to so many law enforcement officers and firefighters.”
Westlake Vice Mayor Greg Langowski agreed.
“Here in Westlake, we have many young families, and I believe we have a responsibility to make sure those lessons and stories are passed on to the next generation,” he said. “Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that day, and in the face of unimaginable tragedy, we saw incredible courage and sacrifice from our first responders and ordinary Americans who stepped forward to help one another.”
Noting that the Westlake 5K was the brainchild of PBCFR member Julian Martinez, who was then a council member, O’Connor said, “I think there’s great synergy between this being the city’s 10th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of 9/11. The idea of connecting the event to Tunnel to Towers instantly resonated with the council.”
Kim Lanza, who grew up on Long Island and worked on the 56th floor of Tower 2 until early 2001, said when she and Farber moved to the Cresswind development in 2024, they were surprised that no remembrance was in place in the community.
“As time goes by, people are starting to forget,” Farber said. “I’m passionate about this and felt like something needed to be brought here.”
Learn more about the Sept. 12 5K event at www.westlakegov.com. To donate to Farber’s fundraiser, visit https://pro.gofundme.com/campaign/c816557.
