May 30, 2002 Commemoration
May 30 marks the 24th anniversary of the formal end of recovery operations at Ground Zero. To commemorate this milestone, we will honor the courage and sacrifice of 9/11 rescue, recovery, and relief workers, commemorate those who have died due to 9/11-related illnesses and injuries, and recognize the spirit of survivors and members of the downtown community with a special ceremony. Details on the commemoration ceremony and additional offerings throughout the month of May are included below.
Commemorative Moment on the Glade
We will gather on Saturday, May 30 at 10:30 a.m. on 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 and injuries 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 here for those unable to attend in person.
Dedicated Museum Hours for This Community
Prior to the ceremony, we invite 9/11 rescue, recovery, and relief workers, as well as survivors, members of the downtown community, and family members of those who have died due to 9/11-related illness and injury to visit the Museum.
Advance ticket reservations for the 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. timeslots can be made here.
Rotating Rescue, Recovery, and Health Advocacy Images
Throughout May, images of the rescue and recovery operation and subsequent 9/11 health advocacy efforts will be projected in the Museum's Foundation Hall.
Ribbon Tying at the Last Column
From May 28 through May 30, we invite you to tie a ribbon on the railing at the base of the Last Column in the Museum's Foundation Hall.
Visionary Network Conversation Series: The Lingering Toll
Wednesday, May 6 at 8 a.m.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s Visionary Network — an initiative dedicated to engaging the next generation of families in preserving the legacies of their loved ones — will host a breakfast as part of its quarterly Conversation Series. "The Lingering Toll: 9/11 Illnesses and Generational Impact” will explore the enduring health impact of 9/11 and how the next generation is carrying stories forward. Through personal reflections, we will examine how these experiences continue to shape families and communities more than two decades later. We hope this program inspires meaningful engagement and connection for those aged 21–45 who may be interested in attending. To learn more about the Visionary Network and additional details about the event, please visit 911memorial.org/visionary.
Public Program: Civic Advocacy
Thursday, May 7 at 6 p.m.
After the 9/11 attacks, rescue and recovery worker John Feal took on a new role as an advocate for the people suffering and dying from exposure to toxic air at and around Ground Zero. His forthcoming book, "I Will Follow You Anywhere: The True Story of the 9/11 Responders Who Took on Congress," shares stories of those who lobbied and testified before Congress about 9/11 health effects. Feal will join Michael O'Connell, a retired FDNY firefighter, Rupa Bhattacharyya, a Georgetown Law Professor, and Dr. Jacqueline Moline, Director of the Northwell Health Queens WTC Health Program, in a conversation about civic advocacy with 9/11 Memorial & Museum President & CEO Beth Hillman.
Public Program: 25 Years Later: Creating Resilience
Thursday, May 28 at 6 p.m.
For responders, survivors, and so many 9/11 community members the mental health trauma experienced in the aftermath of the attacks became a catalyst to share lessons learned with others who have since experienced tragedy. In conversation with Museum Director Clifford Chanin, HEART 9/11 President & Founder and retired PAPD Lt. Bill Keegan, Newtown, CT Police Sgt. Scott Ruszczyk, Danbury, CT Police Det. Sgt. Amity LaFantano, Chief of Mental Health at the Miami VA Healthcare System, Dr. Spencer Eth, and Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Dr. Jonathan DePierro, will discuss the evolution of mental health care and resilience-building for first responders and communities in crisis since 2001.
Join Us and Thank a Hero Today
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.
The Rescue and Recovery Effort
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 roughly 140,000 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.
View an interactive timeline of the rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero.
Illness and Advocacy After 9/11
Central to the 9/11 narrative is what happened after the towers fell, the thousands of stories of response and recovery; the diversity and sheer number of people who have died from or are currently living with illness and trauma; and the incredible advocacy efforts to secure congressional funding for immediate and long-term medical monitoring, research, and treatment programs through the World Trade Center Health program.
Upcoming Public Programs
Public programs explore topics reflecting on the ongoing impacts and continued resonance of the 9/11 attacks.