Riverhead Town remembers 9/11 with morning prayer service
Riverhead Town officials hosted a prayer ceremony at the Riverhead World Trade Center Memorial Park in Calverton on Thursday morning to honor the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
On the 24th anniversary of 9/11, dozens of community members gathered to reflect and remember the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives on the tragic day, including the 343 FDNY firefighters and other first responders who jumped in to help and ran into burning buildings knowing they may not make it home.
Riverhead Town Clerk Jim Wooten led the prayer service and spoke about the resiliency on display in the aftermath of the attacks.
“In the days that followed [there] was shock, anger, disbelief, finger-pointing, hysteria and the solidarity of the American people rarely seen in a lifetime,” Mr. Wooten said. “[The Riverhead World Trade Center Memorial Park] is a place where we can come and pray, and meditate and remember not only the tragedy, but who we are as a nation and what the Freedom Bell means.”
Given the shootings that took place in Utah and Colorado this week, Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard stressed how “that feeling of ‘all for one and one for all’ desperately needs to be revisited.” Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio shared similar sentiments and reflected on the unity shown on Sept. 12, 2001.
“I remember how we came together as a country, and that the divisiveness went away for a while, but it seems to be back,” Ms. Giglio said. “I wish Sept. 12, the day after, when we recognized it was important to come together as a country, to be kind and love thy neighbor, have respect for law enforcement, and appreciate our volunteer firefighters — our firefighters that would do it again today.”
Others in attendance included Calverton resident Hal Lindstrom, who created the memorial park, Councilman Kenneth Rothwell, Councilman Bob Kern, Councilwoman Denise Merrifield, Suffolk County Legislator Catherine Stark and members of the Riverhead Police Department.
As bagpipes rang through the park, a moment of silence concluded the event. Later today, the Sound Park Heights Civic Association will also host a Candlelight Walk and Remembrance at 6 p.m. The procession start on Marine Street in Reeves Park and participants will walk to the 9/11 Memorial Park on Sound Avenue and Lt. Thomas Kelly Memorial Road (Park Road).
“We lost souls, even in our beautiful little town of Riverhead, and we can never forget that happened,” Mr. Hubbard said. “Keep in mind today and give thought to how the unity of the country came together. Everybody was one. It didn’t matter your skin color, didn’t matter your sex, didn’t matter your religion, everybody was one, and we need to get back to that feeling.”
Below are photos taken by Ana Borruto of the ceremony held Thursday morning at the Riverhead World Trade Center Memorial Park in Calverton.
