9/11 Day, the international nonprofit movement to observe 9/11 every year as a day of charitable service, is asking Americans what they will do this 9/11 to honor those lost that tragic day.

Founded in 2002 by David Paine and Jay Winuk in honor of Winuk’s brother Glenn who was killed on 9/11, 9/11 Day encourages millions to participate annually by taking time out on 9/11 to help others in need, in their own way.

9/11 Memorial volunteer Mark Eisen recently stood in Times Square to declare how he will give back on 9/11.  See Eisen’s pledge at Tout.com, and visit 911day.org to make your own pledge to join the 9/11 Day movement. 

Learn how you can volunteer year-round at the 9/11 Memorial here.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff 

Kansas City, Kan., started the first of two phases for its 9/11 memorial site in Overland Park. It included a groundbreaking on the site for the memorial that will feature a 14-foot piece of World Trade Center steel and four educational panels commemorating 9/11. Officials said they hope the first phase of the memorial will be completed by Sept. 11 so it can be dedicated on the 11th anniversary of the tragedy, the Kansas City Star reported.

The Arts and Recreation Foundation of Overland Park has financed the memorial entirely through private donations and hopes the installment will become a regional monument where people can pay their respects to the victims of 9/11.

Currently, the foundation is seeking to raise money for the second phase of the memorial, which is set to include a “crying wall” fountain, stone benches, donors panels and a panel listing the names of all the victims killed. More information is available through this video.

See other memorials to 9/11 victims around the world, at the 9/11 Memorial’s Pinterest page.

By Allyson Philobos, Communications Associate for the 9/11 Memorial 

More than 4 million people have visited the National September 11 Memorial at the World Trade Center since it opened last summer on the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks, the Associated Press reports.

“More than 4 million people visiting the 9/11Memorial in less than one year is a remarkable milestone," said 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels. "It reflects the deeply held belief of the importance of honoring victims of the terrorist attacks that shocked the world almost 11 years ago. These visitors who come to this site and walk this sacred ground are helping to preserve the memory of every man, woman, and child taken from us too soon."

Visitors have come from all 50 states and 170 countries.  Passes to visit the 9/11 Memorial are free and can be reserved here.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

The MEMO blog introduces the dedicated people working at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.  Whether serving as a visitor services host, security guard or facilities manager, each member of the memorial team assures a meaningful, safe and memorable experience for the millions of visitors coming to the World Trade Center to pay their respects.

John Wilkes, a Battery Park City native who lives in New Jersey, recently became a member of the visitor services host team. On the morning of 9/11, Wilkes, a high school student at the time, left his home near the World Trade Center to go to class. Like thousands of others that day, his mother was set to work at the World Trade Center that morning but she called in sick. After the attacks, the Wilkes family was forced to find shelter, as their home became completely covered with asbestos from the debris of the fallen towers. 

Wilkes joined the 9/11 Memorial because he “really wanted to help in any way I could.”

Today, memorial visitors can meet Wilkes at the entrance or on the plaza of the memorial, answering questions or leading youth discussions on conduct at the memorial.

The college graduate said he likes being part of a team working for a private nonprofit with an important mission.

“The people I work with...they all really want to work here and help out.  It’s great to be around such great people.”

By Allyson Philobos, Communications Associate for the 9/11 Memorial

The National 9/11 Flag, which has been on a “restoration tour” nationwide, has made its way to Sag Harbor on Long Island.

The flag was presented last Saturday in honor of the Wounded Warrior Amputees Softball Game, the Sag Harbor Express reported.

The 20-by-30-foot flag has been to all 50 states. Until the 9/11 attacks, the flag was located near the World Trade Center on 90 West St. After the attacks, Charlie Vitchers, the construction superintendent for 9/11 cleanup, and his team rescued what they could of the flag. The flag is currently traveling the country as part of stitching ceremonies to restore it to its original glory, according to the New York Says Thank You Foundation.

After the tattered flag was recovered, women from a senior citizen center in Greensburg, Kan., volunteered to stitch the flag back together. Since nearly half of the flag was lost in the 9/11 attacks, the women used material of surviving flags from a recent tornado to stitch to the existing flag. After its restoration, the flag is estimated to have been stitched by 50,000 different people from all over the country.

The National 9/11 Flag is to become a part of a permanent collection at the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

By Allyson Philobos, Communications Associate for the 9/11 Memorial

A Wisconsin community is currently organizing a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb to honor the 343 New York City firefighters who died in the 9/11 attacks and a Colby, Wis., firefighter who died earlier this year, the Wausau Daily Herald reported.

Participants will climb 110 stories of an office tower in Wausau to represent the number of floors that once scaled the twin towers, and they will be given a photo and badge of one the fallen firefighters to take with them on their climb, according to the report. Upon completion of the climb, participants will have the opportunity to ring a silver fire bell in honor of the firefighters.

Funds raised at the climb will be donated to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. The event will be held on Sept. 8 and is open to the public.

By Allyson Philobos, Communications Associate for the 9/11 Memorial  

Downtown Minneapolis, Minn., has honored war veterans with a “Twin Cities Heroes Parade.” The parade honoring post-9/11 veterans was on July 28, The Star Tribune reported.

The parade was a first for Minneapolis and a successful one at that- drawing hundreds of visitors. The proceeds were to be donated to the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, according to the newspaper. 

To see pictures of service members and war veterans being honored at the 9/11 Memorial, visit our Google + page.

By Allyson Philobos, Communications Associate for the 9/11 Memorial 

A week after the 9/11 attacks, Charles and Lawry Meister received an unexpected overnight package at their California home in the Pacific Palisades. The Meisters were skeptical at first. The delivery happened to coincide with the recent news of anthrax-infected mailings. But the package posed no danger, however.  The Meisters opened it and found a torn and slightly damp powder-covered red envelope. Postmarked “Sept. 10, 2001” from Portsmouth, N.H., the enclosed envelope yielded the tattered remains of a wedding rehearsal dinner invitation. There was also a handwritten note on Waldorf Astoria Hotel stationery that read:

“Dear Sir/Madam:

Found this on the street on the 11th September 2001 downtown Manhattan.

Thought you’d appreciate having it. Yours, Raviv Shtaingos”

On the morning of 9/11, while attending a business conference in lower Manhattan, the London-based Shtaingos had evacuated from an office building near the World Trade Center when he saw a red envelope amid the dust and debris.  Instinctively, he scooped it up and put it in his pocket.  A few days later after returning to England, Shtaingos remembered the envelope he had placed in his pocket for safekeeping and decided to send it to the intended recipients, urged on by his girlfriend.

“Sending the envelope that fell to the ground was my unremarkable act of defiance to the chaos,” Shtaingos said, “Remarkably it survived when so much else did not.”

It was surmised that the letter had been aboard one of the hijacked flights that crashed into the twin towers. It seemed the only explanation for the letter’s misdirected journey from Portsmouth to the chaotic streets of downtown New York on the morning of September 11. Both flights were bound from Boston’s Logan Airport, carrying passengers, crew members and cargo, including U.S. mail, to Los Angeles.

It is remarkable a paper envelope drifted to the street relatively intact given the jetliners’ speed, the force of impact and the fiery explosions that ensued. What is equally extraordinary is that a young man, anxious and fearful for his life, would stop to pick up the envelope during an escalating disaster. His subsequent mission to unite the envelope, with its unknown contents, to the Pacific Palisades address for which it was intended reveals a human side to the story, a sense of responsibility and thoughtfulness demonstrated by a stranger to strangers during a time of international sorrow. The Meisters recently decided to make the 9/11 Memorial Museum the new last stop in the odyssey of this piece of personal mail.

By Jan Seidler Ramirez, Chief Curator and Director of Collections

The MEMO blog introduces the dedicated people working at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.  Whether serving as a visitor services host, security guard or facilities manager, each member of the memorial team assures a meaningful, safe and memorable experience for the millions of visitors coming to the World Trade Center to pay their respects.

Lucie Iuzzolino, born in the Bronx and raised in Rockland County, N.Y., recently joined the 9/11 Memorial team as a visitor services host. On September 11, 2001, Iuzzolino was a junior at the University of Scranton when she heard news of the World Trade Center attacks just before her first morning class.  Like many other Americans that day, she recalls she did not initially recognize the magnitude of the attack and was stunned to find out that the towers had collapsed.

“I had known New York my whole life, and I had stood at the foot of those colossal structures,” Iuzzolino said.

She instantly thought of her father, who had been doing electrical work in the World Trade Center. After spending most of the day fearing for his safety, she finally heard from him and learned he fled Manhattan on foot over the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge.  Iuzzolino spent the rest of the night among her classmates, holding a candlelight prayer vigil on campus.

Today, visitors to the memorial can meet Iuzzolino on the 9/11 Memorial plaza, answering questions about the memorial and helping visitors learn about the arrangement of the names.

“When working at the 9/11 Memorial, I am reminded that the human spirit is tremendously resilient,” Iuzzolino said.

When asked about the most rewarding part of her job, Iuzzolino responded, “Being a part of the healing process.”

By Allyson Philobos, Communications Associate for the 9/11 Memorial

Jenna Moonan, the 9/11 Memorial group reservations manager, recently sat down with the MEMO blog to answer some frequently asked questions about bringing a group to the memorial.

Q: How can I make a group reservation?

A: If you’d like to schedule a visit for a group of 16 people or more, our group reservations associates are available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to assist you with the process. You can speak with an associate over the phone by calling 212-266-5200. If you prefer to make arrangements by email, you can send a reservation request to groups@911memorial.org. To get the process started right away, you should include the following information in your email: desired visit date and time, total number of people in your group, your contact information, and whether or not the group will be dropped off on a bus, as bus drop-off is scheduled.

Q: I’m planning on taking a group to the Memorial in the fall. When should I start planning?

A: Group visits can be scheduled up to six months in advance. We’ve already started booking groups for visits in 2013. Passes are limited, so we highly recommend planning your visit as far in advance as possible.  

Q: What is the easiest way to get my group to the 9/11 Memorial?

A: The simplest way for a group to travel downtown would be to take the subway. The 9/11 Memorial is located at the convergence of 11 subway lines. You can find a complete list of lines with stops just blocks from the entry here.

Another great option is to take a ferry or boat ride to one of the nearby docks. The 9/11 Memorial entry is a short distance from the piers at Battery Park, the World Financial Center and the South Street Seaport, servicing groups from midtown, Brooklyn, Staten Island and New Jersey. There’s no better place to snap a photo of the Manhattan skyline than from the river, so I recommend groups take advantage of these options that allow you to sightsee in transit. The memorial’s Official Transportation Partners even let groups reserve their free Memorial passes when they schedule their rides.

If your group chooses to travel by bus, be sure to let your group reservations associate know this in advance. Bus drop-off and pick-up is scheduled as part of your reservation.

Q: What if the time and date preferred is not available?

A: We strive to accommodate as many groups as possible on a daily basis, but space is limited. I recommend having a couple alternative dates and times your group can visit when you contact an associate to schedule a group visit. If you have only a narrow timeframe for a visit, we’ll add your group to a wait list and be in touch if passes become available due to cancellations.

Q: How can I educate my group about 9/11 before our visit?

A: The 9/11 Memorial Commemorative Guide is a great resource for background information about the World Trade Center, the 9/11 attacks and the 9/11 Memorial. Your reservation confirmation email will include a link to the Commemorative Guide.

In addition, the 9/11 Memorial Museum’s education team has developed resources for all ages to learn about 9/11.  Educators can access lesson plans for kindergarten through 12th grade and find suggested activities in our downloadable Pre-Visit Materials for the Classroom.

I also encourage everyone to visit names.911memorial.org to learn about the arrangement of names, the very heart of the memorial’s design. 

Q: Where do I pick up my group’s passes?

A: You’ll pick up your passes when you arrive with your group, which should be approximately 15 minutes prior to your scheduled entry time. When you arrive, go to Group Check-In at Trinity Pl. and Thames St.  A 9/11 Memorial host will greet your group, confirm the reservation, and handout your visitor passes.  

Q: Is there a charge to visit the 9/11 Memorial?

A: Visitor passes to the 9/11 Memorial are always free. As a nonprofit organization, the 9/11 Memorial does receive contributions from many of our visiting groups, for which we are always grateful. Contributions are dedicated to developing and sustaining the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff