Beloved Birthday Rose Commemoration Continues During Temporary Closure

One of the most beloved traditions of remembrance at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum is the birthday rose program. Each day, we recognize the birthdays of the men, women, and children whose names are inscribed on the 9/11 Memorial by placing a single white rose at each person’s name on his or her birthday.

This moving reminder of the very personal loss of human life on September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 was started in 2013 when a volunteer suggested this special way to honor the memory of each person memorialized on the bronze parapets of the memorial pools. 

During our temporary closure, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum has reduced staff on site, and we have had to take extraordinary measures to see that the birthday rose commemoration continues without pause. On the morning of March 18, we needed a staffer to help place the roses at the names of each person who was born on that day. Our chief financial officer, David Sheehan, one of a handful of employees on site that day, volunteered for the job.

A new plan, undertaken by our security and operations teams, is now in place to ensure this beloved tradition will carry on. And many thanks to David for stepping up to ensure that the birthday roses were not missed for even one day in this time of tumult.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff