Nassau County residents gather at Eisenhower Park to honor 9/11 victims 25 years later
A centerpiece of the ceremony is a monument featuring salvaged steel from the World Trade Center. The structure stood illuminated across the Lakeside Theatre as attendees reflected on the lives lost 25 years ago.
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Hundreds gathered at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow on Thursday evening to honor the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and remember the impact the tragedy had on Long Island families.
The annual tribute featured a gospel choir and the reading of 349 names tied to Nassau County victims. Among those in attendance was Debra Sherry, of Rockville Centre. She comes to the memorial each year to remember her brother, John Anthony Sherry, who passed while working on the 84th floor of the World Trade Center.
"We don't want anyone to ever forget," Sherry said. "It was too tragic and too horrific a day."
A centerpiece of the ceremony is a monument featuring salvaged steel from the World Trade Center. The structure stood illuminated across the Lakeside Theatre as attendees reflected on the lives lost 25 years ago.
Family members and loved ones took turns reading victims' names, including Kerri Kiefer-Viverito, whose brother, firefighter Michael Kiefer, died in the attacks.
"Twenty-five years later, we're still not the same without you," Kiefer-Viverito said during the ceremony. "Somehow, with each day that passes, we love and miss you more."
Organizers and families said memorials like this help ensure younger generations understand the significance of Sept. 11 and the sacrifices made by first responders and victims.
