Thousands of American flags planted in the lawn does make for a beautiful and attention-getting sight on their own, but if you stop to take a closer look, you'll realizing how powerful this display really is.
Each of the flags has a tag attached with a name and some brief biographical information. This is the Western New York Families of September 11th's annual flag tribute to remember the lives lost on that terrible day eleven years ago. By the end of the week, this amazing group of people, each of whom lost a loved one in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011, will have planted a flag representing each of the nearly 3,000 lives lost that day. There will be a special section to remember those who had connections to Western New York.
This Sunday at 8pm, the group will hold a candlelight vigil here at the Red Cross in remembrance of those lost on 9/11. I had the honor of working with these wonderful families last year, and attended the vigil for the first time. It truly is a moving experience, and helps drive home the impact 9/11 still has on our lives more than a decade later.
If you can't make the vigil, the flags will be up at least through next week, and I strongly encourage you to stop and walk around the display. You'll truly be moved by the efforts of the 9/11 Families to make sure we never forget the lives lost on that tragic day, and the Red Cross is honored to be a small part of this memorial.
