May 30, 2002 Commemoration

We invite you to join us on May 30 at 9:30 a.m. for a commemorative moment as we gather at the 9/11 Memorial Glade in honor of all 9/11 rescue, recovery, and relief workers, as well as those who are sick or have died from illnesses linked to exposure to hazards and toxins in the aftermath of 9/11 at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, or near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The Memorial Glade, a tranquil space dedicated to this community, is flanked by six large stone monoliths. Each monolith is inlaid with World Trade Center steel and stands as a symbol of strength and determination through adversity. The event will also be streamed live.

To help us in our planning efforts, if you plan to attend the commemorative moment in person, please RSVP by emailing rsvp@911memorial.org with your name and number of guests attending. Following the commemorative moment on the Glade, the Museum will be exclusively open for this community from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. Tickets are required to enter the Museum. 

Registered rescue and recovery workers, please reserve your tickets. Your constituent ID is required. If you are not yet a part of our Rescue and Recovery Registry, please join the Registry to secure a ticket. 

As a reminder, registered rescue and recovery workers are always eligible for free admission to the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

Members of the downtown community, 9/11 survivors, and families of those who have passed due to 9/11-related illnesses, please reserve your tickets. 

The May 30, 2002 Commemoration is made possible in part by support from Joel S. Marcus / Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., and CVS Health Foundation

From Friday, May 28, through Sunday, May 30, registered 9/11 rescue, recovery, and relief workers, as well as survivors and members of the downtown community, can visit the Museum for free with up to two guests. Additionally, on Sunday, May 30, following the commemorative moment on the Glade, the Museum will be exclusively open for this community from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. Advance ticket reservations are required.

Registered rescue and recovery workers, please reserve your tickets. Your constituent ID is required. If you are not yet a part of our Rescue and Recovery Registry, please join the Registry to secure a ticket. 

Members of the downtown community, 9/11 survivors, and families of those who have passed due to 9/11-related illnesses, please reserve your tickets. 

Friday, May 28, at 11 a.m.

This live 60-minute tour through the Museum’s key spaces provides a deeper understanding of the events of 9/11, the nine-month rescue, recovery, and relief period, and the ongoing 9/11 health crisis. During this program, participants will hear stories about survivors and rescue, recovery, and relief workers, recognizing the selflessness, resolve, perseverance, and courage of those who came to help and heal.

Space is limited, so we encourage you to register in advance for this tour. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Share your own message of gratitude and appreciation for those on the frontlines, both in the aftermath of 9/11 and now, by participating in our “Dear Hero” campaign. In the days after 9/11, children from around the world wrote letters and created heartfelt drawings and other tokens of gratitude to recognize the efforts and sacrifice of first responders. Download the template, write a “Dear Hero” message, and share it on your social media to help honor our heroes today.

Unprecedented rescue, relief, and recovery efforts began immediately after the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City, at the Pentagon, and the Flight 93 crash site in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. At all three attack sites, days, weeks, and months were spent extinguishing fires, clearing debris, and searching for survivors. It took nine months to remove about 1.8 million tons of material from the World Trade Center site.

In the aftermath of 9/11, donations of money and supplies poured in, and thousands of people volunteered to help. Public and private partnerships supported lower Manhattan’s recovery, growth, and revitalization, balancing the need to remember and honor victims with the goal of rebuilding a strong and vibrant community.

During the nine-month recovery and cleanup operation at the World Trade Center, many thousands of individuals transformed what some called “the pile”—a scene of mass destruction dominated by a vast mountain of tangled steel—into an excavated pit reaching 70 feet belowground.

In recent years, individuals with 9/11-related illnesses, health care advocates, and lawmakers on Capitol Hill united in that same spirit to ensure the passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The law, first introduced in 2006, was named for a New York City homicide detective who died that year and had worked at Ground Zero. Finally enacted in 2011, then reauthorized in 2015, the Zadroga Act provides financial compensation to people with 9/11-related illnesses. It also established the World Trade Center Health Program, which monitors or treats more than 95,000 people living in all 50 states. In 2019, following an intense lobbying effort by 9/11 health advocates and their supporters, the Never Forget the Heroes Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump, extending the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund through 2092.