Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County will bring community members, local leaders, students and public officials together Sept. 11 for a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The community ceremony will be held from 8 to 8:45 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at the Palmetto Marriott Resort and Spa, 600 U.S. 41 in Palmetto.
The program will provide an opportunity for residents to reflect on the events of Sept. 11, 2001, remember those whose lives were lost and honor the spirit of unity, service and community strength that followed the attacks.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County is leading the ceremony with support from New College of Florida and Manatee County Government. The Palmetto Marriott is sponsoring the event.
Scheduled speakers include Palmetto Mayor Dan West, Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown, Manatee County Commission Chairman Tal Siddique, Boys & Girls Clubs of Manatee County President and CEO Dawn Stanhope, Manatee County Commissioner Amanda Ballard, Florida Senate President-Designate Jim Boyd, Manatee County Superintendent of Schools Lori Breslin and Sarasota County Superintendent of Schools Terry Connor.
The ceremony will feature several patriotic and educational presentations involving area students and schools.
The Manatee High School Color Guard will present the flags, while students from St. Stephen’s Episcopal School will perform the National Anthem and other music. Palmetto High School students will also provide a musical selection.
A particularly significant local connection to the events of Sept. 11 will be incorporated into the ceremony.
Officer Lenard Rivers and educator Mariah Williams-Adams will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Both are former students of Kay Daniels, an educator who was with President George W. Bush inside a classroom at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.
Bush was visiting the Sarasota school when he was informed that a second plane had struck the World Trade Center and that the nation was under attack.
Daniels will be recognized and honored during the ceremony by New College of Florida.
The 25th anniversary marks a significant milestone for Americans who remember the attacks and for a generation of young people who were born years afterward. The Manatee County ceremony will combine remembrance with education, giving students and community members an opportunity to recognize both the lives affected by the attacks and the acts of courage, service and unity that followed.
Community members and families are invited to attend the Sept. 11 ceremony.