Southlake Marks 25 Years Since 9/11 With Remembrance Ceremony

This year marks twenty-five years since the September 11, 2001, attacks changed our nation forever. The Southlake community will come together in remembrance during the September 11 ceremony, which will take place at 8:30 a.m. Friday, September 11, at Liberty Garden in Bicentennial Park. The ceremony will focus on remembrance and service, honoring those who lost their lives, and the unity that followed the tragedy.

Liberty Garden serves as a place of remembrance and reflection for the Southlake community. Dedicated in 2003, the garden was created as a living memorial following the September 11 attacks. The ceremony will highlight the garden’s Remembrance and Renewal memorial, which honors those affected by September 11 and represents healing, hope, and renewal.

To commemorate the 25^th anniversary, this year’s memorial event will have some new additions, including our special guest speaker, Bill Johnson, a Southlake resident and retired New York Police Department detective who served in the Bronx during September 11 and worked on recovery efforts that followed. Johnson spent 20 years with the NYPD and worked at Ground Zero. He will speak on his personal experience as a first responder and reflect on the importance of remembering those who were lost.

The memorial site will be covered with 2,977 flags, representing the victims who lost their lives at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in the field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania on the day of the attacks. The ceremony will also feature a ceremonial bell ringing, a 9/11 poem, and appearances by the Southlake Community Band and Southlake Honor Guard. Guests will also have an opportunity to write messages of support and remembrance on cards that will be shared with New York City fire and police stations most deeply impacted by the events of September 11, 2001. The program will conclude with a moment of silence and a community pledge to never forget and continue to serve.

Parking will be available across the street from Liberty Garden, in the parking lot next to the water tower at N White Chapel Blvd and Unity Way.

Residents are invited to attend this meaningful community gathering as Southlake remembers the lives lost, honors the courage and sacrifice of first responders, and reflects together on the lasting impact of September 11.