Cheney Stadium in Tacoma will overflow with patriotism and pathos the evening of Sept. 11 as citizens from across Pierce County join men and women in uniform to remember the victims of the East Coast terrorist attacks on the first anniversary.
The 90-minute tribute will start at 7 p.m., culminating a day of 9.11 memorial events throughout the county, state and nation. Admission and parking are free.
The uniforms will be those of local firefighters and police officers whose New York City counterparts touched hearts across America and the world by their heroic actions at the World Trade Center.
They will be joined on the field, the home of the Tacoma Rainiers Class AAA baseball team, by representatives of I Corps (“America’s Corps”) at Fort Lewis and the 62nd Airlift Wing at McChord Air Force Base.
The memorial program is the centerpiece of “A Day of Memory, Hope and Action,” a project launched earlier this summer by Associated Ministries and Pierce County and endorsed by 18 cities and towns and the Pierce County Fire Chiefs and Police Chiefs associations.
Pierce County Executive John W. Ladenburg and the Rev. David Alger, executive director of Associated Ministries of Tacoma-Pierce County, are 9.11 Project co-chairs. Rabbi Mark Glickman of Temple Beth El in Tacoma is chair of the Cheney Stadium program.
Jeff Randall, announcer for the Tacoma Rainiers, will be master of ceremonies.
Jacob Glickman, son of Rabbi Glickman, will read the letter to President Bush that he wrote following the terrorist attacks.
The letter is credited with inspiring the Interfaith Roundtable of Associated Ministries to propose the local 9.11 Project.
Patriotic highlights of the evening will include the unfurling of a large garrison flag carried onto the infield by uniformed public safety and military men and women; presentation of the colors by three honor guards representing Pierce County public safety and emergency services agencies, Fort Lewis and McChord AFB; and singing of the “Star Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful” by the 9.11 Choir and audience.
Three organizations which assisted with recovery efforts at the WTC site will make a “Sights and Sounds from Ground Zero” presentation.
They are the Puget Sound Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, American Red Cross and Northwest Medical Teams.
Accompanied by the Tacoma Scots bagpipe band, public safety and emergency service workers joined by Ladenburg will lay a large wreath in the center of the infield.
That will be followed by an interfaith prayer led by Alger and other members of the local faith community.
The 9.11 Project encouraged citizens to remember the Sept. 11, 2001 victims by performing specific acts of kindness in their honor.
“There can be no better way to remember those who were taken on September 11 than to give something back in their names,” Alger said.
The project Web site (www.hopeinaction9-11.org) lists suggested acts, such as planting a tree, giving blood or making a charitable donation.
Those in the Cheney Stadium audience who pledged to perform acts of kindness will be invited to stand and be recognized.
At the same Web site, people still can download an Acts of Hope form, fill it out and mail it to Associated Ministries.
They also can share their Acts of Hope stories, view other Acts of Hope entries, read 9.11 project information, find (through a link to Cable News Network) names of 9-11 victims and locate charitable and volunteer organizations (through other links).
Information about the Sept. 11 Cheney Stadium event also is posted at the site.
The 9.11 Project is sponsored by Pierce County, city and town governments, the Interfaith Roundtable of Associated Ministries, American Red Cross Tacoma-Pierce County Chapter, and The Nonprofit Center.