‘9-11 Remembrance Walk’ in Cottonwood set for 20th anniversary of terrorist attacks

A fireman’s helmet with an American flag in it on Sept. 15, 2001, after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. In effort to honor the 412 emergency workers who died after responding to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, Verde Valley first responders plan to host a “9-11 Remembrance Walk” on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP, file)

A fireman’s helmet with an American flag in it on Sept. 15, 2001, after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. In effort to honor the 412 emergency workers who died after responding to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, Verde Valley first responders plan to host a “9-11 Remembrance Walk” on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP, file)

COTTONWOOD — In effort to honor the 412 emergency workers who died after responding to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, members of the first responders community in the Verde Valley plan to take a lap.

This weekend, Verde Valley first responders are scheduled to host the inaugural “9-11 Remembrance Walk” at the Cottonwood Middle School outdoor track.

Beginning at 5 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, the event will honor fallen emergency workers by local police and firefighters walking 412 laps for those who died on 9-11.

During each lap, a Verde Valley first responder will carry a P.A.R. (Personal Accountability Report) tag, one for each of the fallen. After the lap is complete, the P.A.R. will be hung on a board.

A P.A.R. tag is a system designed to help keep firefighters safe. It is used to track the location of fire crews while operating in the hot zone of an emergency scene.

photo

Tribute in Light, two vertical columns of light representing the fallen towers of the World Trade Center shine against the lower Manhattan skyline on the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, seen from Jersey City, N.J., on Sept. 11, 2020. (Stefan Jeremiah/AP, file)

“This is a way to remember those who sacrificed so much that day,” Cottonwood Fire Department Battalion Chief Troy Hoke said.

Sept. 11 is the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the WTC in New York and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. A fourth plane was also involved and likely heading for Washington, D.C, but crashed in Pennsylvania after the plane’s passengers attempted to regain control.

The general public is welcome to come and show their support for Verde Valley first responders, and to help remember the emergency workers who died at the WTC on Sept. 11, 2001.

The event is scheduled to begin at 5 a.m. Saturday, and run until about 1 p.m. There will be a moment of silence and prayer at 7:05 a.m.

Follow Brian M. Bergner Jr. on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and SoundCloud at @52MediaWorks. Email him at bbergner@verdenews.com, or call 928-634-2241, ext. 6033.


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