‘The resilience of our country’

The 25th anniversary of 9/11 is respectfully being honored in the Twin Cities in a number of ways.

Leominster police and fire will be doing a remembrance at the Leominster Fire Department station on Church Street at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 11 and another remembrance for the students and staff St. Anna Catholic School at 2 p.m. In addition, the annual 9/11 program and barbecue at the Johnny Ro Park at 720 Mechanic St. in Leominster kicks off at 5 p.m., with all veterans, first responders, and service dogs welcome to attend.

Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella said they “will always remember the men and women who tragically lost their lives that day.”

“As we approach the 25th anniversary, we recognize there is a whole generation of people who didn’t experience 9/11. We want to make sure they learn about and remember the people in the towers and in the planes that lost their lives, the brave first responders who risked and sacrificed their own lives, and those that undoubtedly saved more lives on the ground by bravely confronting the terrorists,” he conveyed. “More made the ultimate sacrifice in the war that came after and we also want everyone to remember the significance of the time that followed that showed the resilience of our country and so many acts of kindness that came in the weeks, months, and years after 9/11.”

Over in Fitchburg, a ceremony will be held at the 9/11 memorial located at 33 North St. at 9:50 a.m., a yearly tradition that pays tribute to the thousands of lives lost on the tragic day a quarter of a century ago now, including 343 firefighters who died as a result of the terrorist attack. The memorial that stands in front of the Fitchburg Fire Department North Street station has a beam from the North Tower of the World Trade Center and it was dedicated on Sept. 11, 2018.

Christ Church at 569 Main St. in Fitchburg is planning a free 9/11 25th anniversary concert from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday evening featuring a youth chorus accompanied by a cello quartet, handbells, harp, and organ. The program will include Robert Moran’s “Trinity Requiem,” several pieces performed by the Merrimack Valley Ringers, and a new arrangement of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” sung by all.

The Rotary Club of Fitchburg and the Fitchburg East Rotary Club invite city veterans to join them for a special veterans appreciation dinner and 9/11 remembrance on Friday at the Fitchburg Senior Center, 14 Wallace Ave.

“This event is being held to honor the men and women who have served our country while also taking time as a community to remember the lives lost and the sacrifices made on Sept. 11, 2001, battling the terrorist attacks on that day on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.,” event organizers shared.

The evening that will begin at 5:15 p.m. aims to bring together veterans, community members, and local leaders for dinner, fellowship, and “a meaningful tribute to those who have served and sacrificed.” Fitchburg veterans are invited to attend the dinner free of charge as guests of honor, each veteran may bring a guest for $10, and to register visit zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/veterans-dinner-2.

Most importantly, organizers say they want Fitchburg veterans to know “this evening is for them.”

“It is an opportunity as a community to come together, recognize their service, thank them for their sacrifices, and remind them how very much they are appreciated and valued by the City of Fitchburg.”