All around Delaware, ways to commemorate 9/11 attacks

Multiple upcoming events are giving Delawareans a chance to mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Here are some highlights, in chronological order.

The Wilmington VA Medical Center in Elsmere will host a virtual remembrance ceremony, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8. The event will include guest speakers and clinical staff to connect veterans with any needed resources.

Newark and the University of Delaware will host a ceremony at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 10 on the UD Green. Mayor Jerry Clifton will give remarks, and the city and university police departments will have a joint color guard.

Businesses throughout Delaware are asked to place flameless, battery-operated, blue tea lights in their office windows starting Sept. 10 – or light up their buildings in blue – as part of the Blue Light Tribute. The effort, announced by David C. Weiss, U.S. attorney for Delaware, honors “the fallen and the first responders and military members who continue to answer the call to duty.”

Dover International Speedway, Dover Downs Hotel & Casino and the Blood Bank of Delmarva will host their 16th annual 9/11 memorial blood drive, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 10. The blood drive will take place at Dover Downs, and there will be regular drawings for participants for tickets to next year’s NASCAR races.

Middletown High School’s Air Force JROTC cadets will lead a memorial service for those who lost their lives in the attacks at 8:30 a.m. Friday. Active and retired military, first responders and the public in general are invited to the school at 120 Silver Lake Road, Middletown.

 

Milton, the Milton Fire Department and VFW Broadkiln Post 6984 will host a 9/11 ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11 at Milton Memorial Park on Chandler Street. The “solemn event [honors] America’s fallen heroes from 9/11 as well as our local men and women who continue to serve our country and our communities.”

Delaware Veterans Post #1 Honor Guard will hos a car and motorcycle show that includes a memorial service. The event runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 11 at Iron Faith Fellowship, 801 Darley Road, North Wilmington.

Dover Air Force Base Fire Emergency Services, in partnership with local first responders, will host a memorial event Sept. 11, at 10:15 a.m., at the AMC Museum. “Although painful to relive, it’s memorials like these that remind us of our promise to defend our country, our people and our home and to never forget those who lost their lives,” said Col. Matt Husemann, 436th Airlift Wing commander. The guest speaker is Ocean Beach Police Captain Tyree Bacon, who as a senior court officer in the New York County Supreme Court in 2001 responded to the attack at the World Trade Center. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this event is limited to invitation only.

The Newark Parks & Recreation Department and The Newark Partnership are hosting Patriot Day & National Day of Service, 10 a.m. to 2 pm. Sept. 11 at the Newark Senior Center, 200 Whitechapel Road, Newark.

“Requiem for 9/11,” by Delaware composer Wilson Gault Somers, will be performed 4 p.m. Sept. 12 at St. Helena’s Roman Catholic Church, 602 Philadelphia Pike, Bellefonte. Tickets are $10-$20. The performance is sponsored by Mass for the Homeless.

The 9/11 Heroes Run 5K, organized by the Travis Manion Foundation, honors “the sacrifices of the heroes of September 11th and the wars since: veteran, first responder, civilian and military.” The virtual event has a University of Delaware tie.