A Message from the Chairman of the Board

Twenty years after the 9/11 attacks, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum led the world in honoring the nearly 3,000 people killed on September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993.

Despite evolving circumstances due to COVID-19, we met our preeminent responsibility to mark the milestone of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. We delivered a world-class commemoration as well as outstanding programming with both national and international reach. And in doing so, we continued to uphold our collective promise to honor the lives and legacies of those we lost and pay tribute to the heroes who lifted us up and inspired us.

As part of this milestone year effort, we launched The Never Forget Fund, a national campaign to support critical education programs to ensure that future generations never forget what happened. Telling the stories of 9/11, and passing them down, is more critical now than ever, as millions of Americans grow up without any memory of that devastating day, or of how we all pulled together to recover, with the help of people from every country and every faith. With the incredibly generous backing of our donors, the campaign has already raised millions of dollars and is continuing to inspire supporters from around the world to contribute so that the Memorial & Museum can continue to share the lessons of 9/11 for decades to come.

Thanks to the immense dedication of our Board of Trustees and staff, people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds continued to safely visit the Memorial & Museum. This year on 9/11 alone, more than 62,000 people visited the Memorial to commemorate the milestone anniversary, and in the following weeks, the Memorial also welcomed more than 300 heads of states, ministers, and delegation members from more than 120 member states and international organizations in connection with the 76th United Nations General Assembly, underscoring the global effect of the 9/11 attacks and the significance of the Memorial & Museum’s mission. Since its inaugural opening, more than 18 million people from around the world have visited the Museum to learn about the history of 9/11 and more than 54 million people have come to pay tribute to the victims on the Memorial plaza.

I’d like to extend a very special thank you to Alice Greenwald, who announced last year that she will be stepping down as President and CEO and retiring from the organization after nearly 16 years of service. With her steadfast commitment to the Memorial & Museum’s mission, she has led the institution through many of its major milestones, helped staff navigate unprecedented times, and put us in a position to continue growing. We wish her the best as she embarks on her next chapter, and we remain grateful for all she has done to ensure a successful future for the Memorial & Museum.

I sincerely hope that in the upcoming year you will join the millions who have visited and supported this important institution to honor those killed and those who ran towards danger. Together with your support, we will continue to share their powerful stories of hope, resiliency, and unity while ensuring the Memorial & Museum will serve as a meaningful tribute for generations to come.

Sincerely,

Michael R. Bloomberg