MAYOR
MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG AND 9/11 MEMORIAL PRESIDENT
JOE
DANIELS ANNOUNCE TRIBUTE HONORING FIRST RESPONDERS
AND
RECOVERY WORKERS AND COMMEMORATING THE
10TH
ANNIVERSARY OF MAY 30, 2002
May 30, 2002 Marked the Formal
End of Recovery Operations at the
World Trade Center Site
Following the 9/11 Attacks
New
York, NY -- May 15, 2012 -- Mayor Michael
R. Bloomberg and 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels
today announced a special event recognizing the 10th
anniversary of May 30, 2002, which marked the formal end
of cleanup operations at Ground Zero. The event, to be
held at the 9/11 Memorial on May 30, 2012 beginning at
6:30 p.m., will honor the thousands of men and women who
came to the site in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The
event is open to 9/11 rescue, recovery and relief
workers, and their guests. Capacity on the 9/11
Memorial's plaza is limited, so those who wish to attend
must register and reserve a pass online at www.911memorial.org/may30. The event
will take place rain or shine.
"The
efforts by the first responders and recovery workers at
the World Trade Center site were nothing short of
heroic," said Mayor Bloomberg, Chairman of the 9/11
Memorial. "New Yorkers and men and women from across the
country came to our aid when we needed it most, and we
will always be grateful. This event will allow us to
honor the sacrifice made by so many."
"The
story of the rescue and recovery efforts at the World
Trade Center in the wake of 9/11 is an essential part of
the history of the United States," said 9/11 Memorial
President Joe Daniels. "Our gratitude cannot equal the
sacrifices of these men and women, but it will be an
honor to thank them on the 10-year anniversary of the
end of their remarkable efforts."
The
story of the rescue and recovery efforts will be one of
the aspects of history preserved in the 9/11 Memorial
Museum at the World Trade Center. By registering for
this event, recovery workers also will help build the
9/11 Memorial Museum's Recovery and Relief Workers
Registry and Scroll of Honor, a permanent installation
surrounding the Last Column, the last steel beam to be
removed from the site on May 30, 2002.
"The
monumental effort at Ground Zero showed the world that
New York and New Yorkers would prevail," said Police
Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. "The end of recovery
efforts there was only one milestone in a continuum of
service and sacrifice that continued at Fresh Kills and
the morgue, and in the lives and deaths of those who
contracted illnesses afterward. We will never forget all
they did for New York and the nation."
"Thousands
of FDNY members participated in the extraordinary
261-day rescue, recovery and cleanup effort and,
unfortunately, far too many have died or become
seriously ill due to their work at the site," said Fire
Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano. "By marking this
date, we remember and pay tribute to them and to all who
selflessly and tirelessly worked at the World Trade
Center site in the aftermath of unimaginable destruction
-- an effort that inspired the nation and the world. I
commend the City and the 9/11 Memorial for recognizing
this important milestone in our nation's
history."
"The
men and women of the Department of Sanitation spent
months clearing more than a million tons of debris from
the World Trade Center site and transporting it by land
and water to the former Fresh Kills landfill for
examination by law enforcement authorities," said
Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty.
"They
also worked feverishly to reopen Downtown Manhattan and
Wall Street by clearing debris and sweeping and washing
away ankle-deep ash and dust left behind by the collapse
of the towers. New York's Strongest were proud to be a
part of the team that brought New York back from this
terrible moment."
"May
30, 2002 marked the official end to cleanup and recovery
efforts to reclaim the bodies of our friends, relatives
and co-workers who were murdered by terrorists in an
attack on the United States on September 11, 2001," said
Captains Endowment Association President Roy T. Richter.
"Those who perished on September 11 will never be
forgotten. Many people responded to the call to service
without regard to the toxic exposures suffered or
personal sacrifice made, in defense of our country
following the terrorist attack. While we remember an
anniversary of the end of a cleanup and recovery, which
was accomplished well ahead of expectations, we must
also keep in our thoughts those police officers and
other first responders who struggle with pain and life
changing disabilities as a consequence of their selfless
police service."
"The
nine-month recovery period was led by extraordinarily
brave men and women from New York and across the
country," said Lieutenants Benevolent Association
President Thomas Sullivan. "They will receive the
recognition they deserve on May 30, and without them,
the path to reconstruction at the World Trade Center
site would have been impossible."
"I
think it's a great tribute," said Detectives' Endowment
Association President Michael J. Palladino. "We can
never say or do enough for those who performed the
rescue and recovery work at Ground Zero. They
disregarded their own health and safety to save others
and we are very proud of them."
"Recognizing
the 10-year anniversary of the formal end of the
recovery effort is a befitting tribute to the tens of
thousands of brave men and women who toiled at Ground
Zero for nine months after an unimaginable act of terror
on this city and this country," said President of the
Sergeant's Benevolent Association Ed Mullins. "Thousands
of our members joined in this effort and we appreciate
the city for honoring them."
"The
events of that tragic day 10 years ago, the loss of 22
brother officers and a sister officer and all those who
are sick today, continues to weigh heavily on the hearts
and minds of all NYC police officers," said President of
the New York City Patrolmen's Benevolent Association
Patrick J. Lynch. "A solemn gathering for all first
responders is appropriate and may help some to deal with
the loss, the pain and the suffering."
"The
Uniformed Fire Officers Association representing the
2,550 FDNY Lieutenants, Supervising Fire Marshalls,
Captains, Chief Officers and Medical Officers deeply
appreciates that Mayor Michael Bloomberg has chosen to
recognize the efforts of our members on the 10th
anniversary of the World Trade Center cleanup," said
Uniformed Fire Officers Association President Al Hagan.
"Working alongside the other members of the uniformed
forces for many months in a highly toxic atmosphere
under adverse conditions, we were able to successfully
complete the cleanup. The fact that the people of NYC
will never forget the tremendous sacrifices that the
members of the FDNY made on 9/11 helps to give our
members the strength that is needed to do the dangerous
work we do."
"We
appreciate the Mayor and the City's recognition marking
the 10th anniversary of the conclusion of cleanup
operations at the World Trade Center site," said
Uniformed Firefighters Association President Steve
Cassidy. "More than ten thousand firefighters and other
workers toiled round-the-clock for nine months
completing the cleanup a year ahead of schedule and more
than a billion dollars under budget. More than 2,000
firefighters have since become seriously ill from their
work at the site, while others have died. It is
imperative that we recognize the important role that all
those who worked at the site played in getting our city
and nation back on its feet again."
"More
than 800 City sanitation workers played a significant
role in cleaning up the devastation caused by the
September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center,"
said Uniformed Sanitationmen's Association President
Harry Nespoli. "In the first few months following the
collapse of the buildings, City sanitation workers
labored in 12-hour shifts digging up and hauling away
the debris at Ground Zero. We also worked at dumps in
Fresh Kills on Staten Island and at Hamilton Avenue in
Brooklyn, and loaded barges on the Hudson River,
protecting the health of our citizens from the toxic
mess left on that day of infamy. As always, we did what
was needed to get the job done."
"The
New York State AFL-CIO applauds the opportunity to
recognize the brave men and women who so bravely gave of
themselves during a time of national crisis," said New
York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento. "We are
proud to be part of the upcoming event to commemorate
the end of the Ground Zero cleanup. Everyone involved in
those heroic efforts deserves our undying
gratitude."
"The
recovery and cleanup of the World Trade Center site
following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 is
a testament to what government, labor and business can
accomplish when we respond as one to our most daunting
challenges," said Gary LaBarbera, President of the
Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New
York, which consists of local affiliates of 15 national
and international unions and their 100,000 members in
New York City. "The thousands of members of the
unionized building and construction trades who served as
volunteers and employees on this work viewed it as an
obligation, not just a job. We were proud to have stood
side-by-side with our brothers and sisters in the
uniformed services in this spirit. It is certainly
fitting that, on the 10th anniversary of the completion
of the recovery and cleanup, we acknowledge the
contributions and sacrifices of all of those
involved."
"We
again have the opportunity to come together to recognize
the courage and self-sacrifice of public service workers
who dedicated several months of their lives to the
recovery effort at Ground Zero," said DC 37 Executive
Director Lillian Roberts. "On May 30, let us all come
together and honor everyone who came to aide this city
in its darkest hours."
"I
want to personally thank Mayor Bloomberg and 9/11
Memorial President Joe Daniels for making this event
happen," said John Feal, founder and president of the
Feal Good Foundation, a non-profit organization
advocating for 9/11 healthcare for recovery workers and
first responders. "Ten years ago, as a nation we all
witnessed firsthand the evil that exists in this world,
but more importantly we all witnessed the good, and the
sacrifice of so many great Americans. While we can never
change history, we can embrace the heroic actions of
uniform and non-uniform heroes who came together in the
name of good for this great city and nation. To
recognize and honor those lost and those sick from their
heroic actions is simply a gesture of great proportions,
and is truly humbling. I stand behind the Mayor and Mr.
Daniels in full support and endorse this event that will
honor not one, but thousands of heroes."
ABOUT
THE NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL &
MUSEUM
The National September 11
Memorial & Museum is the not-for-profit corporation
created to oversee the design, fundraising, programming,
and operations of the Memorial and Museum at the World
Trade Center. The Memorial and Museum are located on
eight of the 16 acres of the World Trade Center site.
The Memorial was dedicated on the 10th anniversary of
the 9/11 attacks and is now open to the public.
The Memorial remembers and honors
the 2,983 people who were killed in the horrific attacks
of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993. The design,
created by Michael Arad and Peter Walker, consists of
two reflecting pools formed in the footprints of the
original Twin Towers and a plaza of trees. The Museum
will display monumental artifacts linked to the events
of 9/11, while presenting intimate stories of loss,
compassion, reckoning, and recovery that are central to
telling the story of the 2001 and 1993 attacks and the
aftermath. It will communicate key messages that embrace
both the specificity and the universal implications of
the events of 9/11; document the impact of those events
on individual lives, as well as on local, national, and
international communities; and explore the continuing
significance of these events for our global community.
For more information or to
reserve a free visitor pass to the Memorial, go to 911memorial.org.
MEDIA
INQUIRIES
Michael
Frazier/Sarah Lippman
(212)
312-8800 or pr...@911memorial.org
ABOUT
THE 9/11 TRIBUTE CENTER
The
9/11 Tribute
Center is located at 120 Liberty Street
along the south side of the World Trade Center site. The
center was created by the September 11th Families'
Association to share the personal stories of victims,
survivors, rescue and recovery workers, volunteers, and
residents of Lower Manhattan. By engaging visitors in
the authentic experiences of those most affected by the
events of February 26, 1993 and September 11, 2001, the
center's five galleries and its walking tour program
convey the efforts of those who responded to the tragedy
and the steps taken towards working for a more peaceful
world by many of those impacted by the
events. Volunteer opportunities available
for first responders. Contact volu...@tributewtc.org
for inquiries.
