A light tribute to the 9/11 victims was already shining Friday at Point Lookout on the eve of the town of Hempstead's sunrise ceremony.

Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the attacks, but people were already visiting the memorial at the beach.

MORE: Remembering 9/11 20 Years Later

Town of Hempstead Supervisor Donald Clavin says one of the reasons that the tribute at the beach draws a large crowd is because on that day, many came down to Point Lookout and had a view of what was happening in the city. He says from the shoreline, you get a view of the city skyscrapers.

"This has been a focal point for the 20 years since then that the residents come here," says Clavin. "In 2017, we had this memorial built."

News 12 spoke with Phil Alvarez, the brother of NYPD Det. Luis Alvarez, who died after a lengthy battle with 9/11-related cancer. Alvarez lobbied Congress to extend funding for the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund and was successful.

"It took 15 years for Lou to get sick but we had him for those 15 years," says Alvarez. "And from the time he got sick we were able to be with him, talk to him, share a thought, say our goodbyes, tell each other that we love each other."

Clavin says people come from all over the tri-state area for the ceremony.

Town officials say everyone is welcome to the ceremony. Clavin says there are 500 chairs set up on the beach.