Tampa nonprofit organizes massive memorial honoring 9/11 victims ahead of 24th anniversary – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
LAND O’LAKES, Fla. (WSVN) — It has been 24 years since the September 11 terror attacks, and ahead of the somber anniversary, one community near Tampa is back with a massive project: an annual memorial that doesn’t just honor history, but also teaches a new generation about the day’s meaning.
On a massive patch of grass outside Rosebud Continuum, a sustainability education center and eco-research site located in Land O’Lakes, the names of 2,977 lives lost on September 11 coming back into focus in the form of red, white and blue placards.
Volunteers of all ages, from veterans to children, read their names out loud on Saturday morning, as they work side by side to place each one in sections, forming a massive U.S. flag.
For Kristy Verdi, the founder of the nonprofit Learn and Serve Tampa, this memorial is about more than just remembering; it’s also about connection.
“The purpose is to get the community involved. A lot of people don’t realize that this year, there are teachers in classrooms who were not born on 9/11, so we have to continue to keep it alive,” she said. “We said we would never forget, and this is our effort to make that happen.”
Her nonprofit even has students research the lives behind each name.
“Students were given a name and a picture and the information they needed to research those people, and they’re writing them letters or writing a narrative about their life,” she said.
For the last three years, Verdi’s group has collaborated with a veterans organization for the project. American Legion Post 108 Cmdr. Don Hinst said it’s inspiring to see young people, many too young to remember, learning about the impact of that tragic day.
“There’s a lot of young people that they don’t have a clue what it is, and that’s why it’s so important here,” he said. “We’ve got Sea Cadets, we’ve the Boy Scouts, you know, we’ve got Civil Air Patrol, and it’s just a great thing to see the twinkle in their eye as they’re wanting to learn.”
The memorial will be on display for a week, giving the community time to walk through the rows and reflect.
“Just spend some time here with the memorial. That’s what it’s meant for,” said Toni Hedstrom, marketing manager for American Legion Post 108.
It’s a solemn reminder, and a living lesson, that while the world changed that day, the promise to never forget remains strong.
The memorial is set to host a special ceremony this Thursday, Sept. 11.
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