Day of Remembrance to mark 9-11 to be held at Rumrunners Restaurant in Cape Harbor
A Day of Remembrance will be hosted by the American Airlines Kiwi Club, Suncoast Chapter, Saturday, Sept. 11, at Rumrunners Restaurant in Cape Harbor to remember and honor all of the fallen.
Sharee McClellan Thieleman, a retired American Airlines attendant, said the American Airlines Kiwi Club decided to host a memorial three years ago to remember everyone who lost their lives on 9-11.
The event has grown in attendance every year.
The club found a need to have a memorial for the community because so many people were directly involved with the 9-11 tragedy.
McClellan Thieleman said she wants the community to know that the Day of Remembrance is for them.
The memorial is “to remember and honor everyone that were killed that day.”
“We hope that they (the community) all come and join us to keep it alive each year so 9-11 won’t be forgotten,” she said. “We don’t want them to forget how horrific the whole day was. We want to remember all the fallen heroes and victims of that day.”
Last year the memorial service attracted 300 individuals, which included participants and attendees, McClellan Thieleman said.
Last year they had two unexpected guests arrive for the rose ceremony, she said, which were two little white doves. She said she hopes they return again this year.
The memorial service will begin at 8:30 a.m. with the police department, fire department and EMS personnel presenting the colors. The National Anthem will be sung, followed by the Lee County Civil Air Patrol Cadets leading those in attendance with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Each year I try to have different speakers that were directly involved in 9-11, she said.
This year the speakers will include a former New York Police Department detective, New York EMS and an individual directly involved with the New York Fire Department.
Members from the Cape Coral police and fire department, Fort Myers Police, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County EMS, U. S. Coast Guard, Harp and Thistle Pipes and Drums of Southwest Florida, members of the U.S. military as well as retired U.S. military officers, Civil Air Patrol Cadets and the Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral will also participate in the event.
McClellan Thieleman said there will be 300 white roses displayed in vases with a list of names and numbers of who were lost on 9-11 Saturday morning.
She said cadets will bring the roses down to the harbor and bag pipes will play “Amazing Grace” as everyone takes a rose for a special person and throws it into the water.
She said the white roses will be thrown to remember those who were on American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines Flight 77, American Airlines Flight 93, along with members of the New York Police Department, New York Fire Department, New York Port Authority Police, private EMTs and paramedics, military personnel and civilians of the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
Marine vessels will have their lights on in the harbor during the ceremony.
“It is pretty moving,” she said.
For information call Sharee McClellan at (239) 822-8035.