SAN DIEGO (CNS) - On the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum, groups of firefighters will commemorate the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks Thursday, one of several memorial events planned in the county.
The Fire Department of New York Retirees of San Diego, along with the Midway, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, National City Fire Department, San Diego Firefighter's Emerald Society and The Wounded Warrior Project will "pay tribute to our fallen heroes and keep our promise to Never Forget."
The ceremony aboard the ship begins at 2:30 p.m. Thursday and will include honor guards, pipes and drums, the playing of the National Anthem, reading the names of 441 first responders who died in the attacks, tolling of the ship's bells, an SDFD helicopter flyover, 21-gun salute and Taps Harbor Police fireboat water display.
Admission to the museum for the event is free between 1:45 and 3 p.m.
Additionally, South Bay business leaders will recognize the efforts of first responders with free meals.
To honor the bravery and sacrifice of firefighters and police officers, the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce, Seven Mile Casino and spokesman Pedro Anaya have teamed up with local businesses to provide free breakfast, lunch and dinner to every fire and police station in Chula Vista, Bonita and Imperial Beach, as well as Chula Vista Police Headquarters.
Anaya reached out to the city's Chamber of Commerce seven years ago and within 48 hours had all of Chula Vista's stations "adopted" by local businesses for breakfast, lunch and -- starting last year -- dinner.
Dozens of businesses and organizations are participating in the event, including South Bay institutions such as Lolita's Mexican Food, South County EDC, Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center and Sammy's at Seven Mile Casino.
"This gesture is more than just a meal -- it's a heartfelt thank you to those who risk their lives to protect us daily," Anaya wrote.
Additional events include:
-- The University of San Diego will host its annual 9/11 Remembrance event at 8:30 a.m. First, a ceremony featuring USD's Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps unit and local faith leaders will be held at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies. There will be a presentation from an NROTC Color Guard including a rendition of taps, remarks by local faith leaders and an interfaith prayer. Then, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at USD's Palomar Health Student Wellness Center, the university's Military and Veterans Program will be hosting a stair climb challenge. Students can participate solo or in teams, and will use machines in the wellness center to climb a total of 110 stories each.
-- HandsOn San Diego will host the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance, where volunteers can help out at numerous nonprofits throughout the region to commemorate the day. Opportunities run the gamut from supporting rescued farm animals in Escondido, helping at farmers markets in North Park and Rancho Peñasquitos, serving dinner at the safe parking program in Spring Valley, mentoring youth musicians in Point Loma and cleaning and feeding horses in Dulzura.
"9/11 Day is a time when Americans are asked to join together in unity, remember those lost on 9/11, and if possible, perform good deeds or other acts of service as a positive tribute to the 9/11 victims, as well as first responders and military personnel who rose in service in response to the attacks," a HandsOn statement read. A full list of volunteer opportunities can be found at handsonsandiego.org/911day.
-- The U.S. Customs and Border Protection San Diego Field Office will commemorate the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks with a brief halt in northbound traffic operations at the land ports of entry at 5:46 a.m. PST -- the same moment Flight 11 crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower. The following ports of entry will participate: San Ysidro Port of Entry, Otay Mesa Port of Entry, Tecate Port of Entry and Calexico West Port of Entry. Normal traffic operations will resume immediately following the brief ceremony.
-- On Naval Base San Diego, members of the armed forces can climb the Pacific Beacon Towers in the Climb to Remember event beginning at 8 a.m., along with the U.S. Navy's Federal Fire Team.
-- The Travis Manion Foundation will host the 9/11 Heroes Run in NTC Park at Liberty Station to honor the heroes of 9/11 and the service members who stepped up in the wars that followed -- including Manion, a Marine who was killed in action in Iraq in 2007. The run will feature a normal 5-kilometer run, but also has the option for runners to carry gear in the Ruck race.
On Aug. 30, Firefighter Aid held its annual San Diego Memorial Stair Climb. A total of 676 climbers raised more than $50,000 by climbing 110 flights of stairs, the same number as in the World Trade Center towers, wearing the name of a fallen Emergency Responder whose life was lost that day.
In previous years, San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson had held a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony at the County Administration Center. While no such event is being hosted by his office this year, he did express gratitude to the many San Diegans hosting and attending memorial events.
"Supervisor Anderson is grateful that this tradition of honoring the lives lost and the heroism shown by Americans that day will continue through the many remembrance ceremonies taking place across the County this September 11th," Anderson's spokesman Matthew Phy told City News Service.
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