Remembering and Honoring 9/11 Through a Day of Service

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ELMIRA, NY (09/06/2018) On Tuesday, September 11, the Elmira College community will honor those who lost their lives on the morning of September 11, 2001, through a day of service and remembrance.

The day of programming begins at 8:46 a.m., the time of the first attack, as students, faculty and administrators place 2,996 American flags along Park Place to honor the initial lives lost in the multiple attacks between New York and Washington, DC. The greater Elmira community is invited to join in the placement of the flags and to walk along the flags and reflect on that tragic day 17 years ago. Following the placement of the flags, EC community members will visit various first responder locations to deliver refreshments and say thank you to all who serve the City of Elmira. This is in tribute to the 343 first responders who gave their lives in the line of duty to their community.

In the afternoon, Elmira College students will move downtown around Wisner Park to conduct various random acts of kindness that include, but are not limited to, visiting local senior citizen centers, passing out flowers, and even free high-fives! The goal is to spread positivity in the shadow of darkness with which 9/11 has become associated.

In the evening, the community is invited to join the campus community at 7:00 p.m. in MacKenzie's, Campus Center, for motivational speaker, Tim Charron. Tim's message of positivity, kindness, and anti-bullying is designed to take moments of dark tragedy and find the light and positivity that all possess.

At 8:00 p.m., following the presentation, all are invited to join around the Puddle, near Cowles Hall, for a candlelight memorial service and moment of reflection. During the service, Elmira College Army & Air Force ROTC cadets will present the colors, college acapella groups will offer special musical performances, and Elmira College President, Dr. Charles Lindsay, will offer a few words of reflection and solidarity. At 8:46 p.m., the candles will be extinguished for a moment of silence in remembrance of those lost during the attacks of 9/11, and for those who continue to fight with rescue-related illness.