Traveling Sept. 11 memorial coming to Holmes County
HOLMES COUNTY – Flag Day weekend in Holmes County this June will take on a whole new meaning as residents will have the opportunity to see an exhibit dedicated to the Sept. 11 tragedy that has traveled the United States and Canada.
Holmes Oil Distributing, joined by Dutchman Hospitality, Rea & Associates and Village Motors will bring the 9/11 NEVER FORGET MOBILE EXHIBIT to Harvest Ridge Expo and Event Center, 8880 State Route 39, a mile west of Millersburg.
The exhibit is the creation of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation that honors the fallen firefighter for which the foundation is named, as well as all the other first responders who died on Sept. 11, 2001. On Sept. 11, Siller was off duty when the planes hit and to get to the burning Twin Towers, he needed to carry 60-plus pounds of firefighting gear and run through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel (now named Hugh L. Carey Tunnel), a distance of almost two miles.
The traveling display will be escorted by local first responders to Harvest Ridge Expo & Event Center, a mile west of Millersburg off State Route 39 on June 13.
The exhibit will be displayed inside the Harvest Ridge Expo & Event Center building on Friday, June 14, from 3 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, June 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There is no admission charge to the grounds or the exhibit. However donations will be accepted by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation at the event.
Mike Hummel of Holmes Oil Distributing, Co. Rd. 201 Millersburg, spearheaded the effort to bring the exhibit to Holmes County.
“The name of the exhibit, ‘Never Forget’, started me thinking about the importance of what happened and why it should always be remembered.” said Hummel. “Also, many of our young people were not even born when this awful tragedy occurred. I felt was our duty not only to bring this information to these young people but to do it in an unforgettable manner with firefighters who were actually there that day.”
Harvest Ridge Manager Steve Miller thanked the sponsors for making the event possible and for allowing Harvest Ridge to act as its host venue.
“Particularly on Flag Day weekend, this is truly a unique opportunity to see a truly unique exhibit and we hope those in Holmes County and surrounding communities will take advantage of the opportunity,” Miller said.
In 2013, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation launched its 9/11 NEVER FORGET MOBILE EXHIBIT, a tribute to all those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, including, of course, the 343 members of the FDNY who made the ultimate sacrifice.
The high-tech, 53-foot tractor-trailer, which transforms into a 1,000 square foot exhibit, is a vital tool to further educate citizens throughout the country about the events of that tragic day.
Welcomed around the country, from the Black Hills of South Dakota to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds, the memorial provides interactive education including artifacts such as steel beams from the World Trade Center Towers, documentary videos, and recordings of first responder radio transmissions discussing what they needed in order to conquer the fire. Little did these brave first responders know that they would die heroically a few minutes later.
Interactive guided tours are carried out by FDNY firefighters eyewitnesses to history, who provide firsthand accounts of the day and its aftermath. The 9/11 NEVER FORGET MOBILE EXHIBIT, which has traveled to 32 states, and Canada, and been viewed by more than 350,000 people to date.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation is committed to ensuring we never forget. For further information about the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, visit tunnel2towers.org. For further information about the exhibit’s visit to Harvest Ridge, visit harvestridgeohio.com/events.
Category: Multimedia, People & Places, Photo Galleries
