List of Phoenix-area 9/11 tribute events this week includes Healing Field, stair climb
Sep 9, 2024, 9:06 AM
PHOENIX – A variety of metro Phoenix 9/11 events are being held this week to honor the victims of the deadliest terrorist attack in history.
One of the best-known events is the Exchange Club of Tempe’s annual Healing Field memorial.
The tribute at Tempe Beach Park started Saturday when volunteers gathered to stand up American flags for each of the nearly 3,000 lives lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. A concert with patriotic music was held Saturday night, and there was a 5K run on Sunday morning.
On Wednesday, the names of all 2,977 victims will be read at the Healing Field starting at 5:46 a.m., the time when the first hijacked plane hit the north tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan 23 years ago.
A 7 p.m. Wednesday, Tempe Beach Park will host a ceremony with speakers and a candlelight vigil.
Volunteers will remove the Healing Field flags on Thursday morning.
Gilbert 9/11 event to include ceremony, beams of light
The town of Gilbert is also holding its annual 9/11 memorial ceremony on Wednesday night. The event starts at 6 p.m. at the Gilbert Civic Center’s 9/11 Memorial Plaza near Gilbert and Warner roads.
After a ceremony, two beams of light will be projected skyward from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. to symbolize the fallen twin towers of the World Trade Center.
Gilbert’s 9/11 Memorial Plaza is always open to the public. Its centerpiece is a piece of a beam that came from the north tower of the World Trade Center.
Other metro Phoenix 9/11 events
Another annual tribute is the Salt River Firefighters 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. The event is held each year at the Salt River Fields baseball stadium in Scottsdale to honor the firefighters, police officers and other first responders who gave their lives at the twin towers.
The 2024 climb is set for 4-10 p.m. Saturday. The goal is to climb up and down the stadium stairs to cover the equivalent of 110 stories, the height of the World Trade Center.
Meanwhile, the Travis Manion Foundation, which provides support for veterans and the families of fallen military members, is holding its 9/11 Heroes Run at Kiwanis Park in Tempe on Saturday morning.
Saturday is also the 9/11 National Day of Service, when Americans are encouraged to pay tribute by volunteering. A list of local volunteer opportunities can be found on the Greater Phoenix 9/11 Day of Service web page.
