A City Remembers September 11th

This weekend the City of Fairfax honors the victims of September 11th and pays tribute to our first responder and military heroes who have given so much to their country, their Commonwealth and their community.

Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the horrific events of September 11th and the City will host its annual Patriot Day ceremony at the Sherwood Community Center at 7 p.m. (change of plans due to weather). As we have in the past, we will hear remarks from the Mayor, hear music from the City of Fairfax Band and personally thank our City firefighters and police officers for all they do.

The City will also hold a special processional to receive a steel remnant of the Twin Towers, which the City is arranging to put on display. The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Girl Scout Troop 4288 and music will also be provided by the Fairfax High School A Cappella Chorale and the Northern Virginia Firefighters' Emerald Society Pipe Band. The city also will recognize the city's police officer and firefighter of the year.

And I'm personally honored that Father David Whitestone of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, the church my family and I attend, will be giving the invocation.

The night before the Patriot Day ceremony is a special exhibit of photos by award-winning photojournalist Sean Kelley at the Sherwood Community Center. This fundraising event - Still Standing-Still Free: 10 Year Anniversary of September 11 Photo Exhbilit - will benefit the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation and feature photos Sean took on September 11as one of the first photographers on the scene at the Pentagon.

There will also be music from the Michael Clem Trio (for those who don't know him, Michael Clem is a singer/songwriter/bass player for Northern Virginia's own folk-rock band Eddie From Ohio). The photography exhibit and benefit concert is at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 10. Tickets are $40. You can pay at the door or here.

As I will write about in another blog post, this exhibit has a lot of meaning for me, namely because I'm in some of the photos Sean took that day - as one of the first reporters on the scene at the Pentagon.