Dedication Ceremony Planned For New Borough Sept. 11 Memorial

For the 17th anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, Oakland will hold a dedication ceremony for the new 9/11 Memorial, which will be located in Veterans Park. The Recreation Commission has spent the last two years preparing for this event. The date of the ceremony is Tuesday, September 11. 

In April of 2016 after visiting the 9/11 Museum at the World Trade Center site, Recreation Chairman Mike Guadagnino began a series of events to procure WTC steel for the borough. After much negotiating the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey agreed to send one of the final pieces of steel to Oakland, which would be cared for by the Recreation Commission.  Over the next few months the commission, along with members of the borough, the American Legion and emergency services worked to create a model for an appropriate memorial as well as the perfect location. The Recreation Commission purchased the stone and all necessary materials that will house, preserve and display the steel for present and future Oakland generations.

On the night of September 11, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. there will be a ceremony at Veterans Park. (Event organizers had considered changing the ceremony date to September 13 because of some scheduling conflicts, but ultimately decided to stick to the original date of September 11.) There will be no recreation activities that night so all may attend. It has been 17 years since that horrible day, and those of us who lived through it remember that day as if it was yesterday.  This year’s ceremony will be one of remembrance and celebration for the lives of those we lost as well as the Recreation Commission delivering a new memorial for Oakland. It should be a proud night for the borough as something new and sacred is unveiled. We hope to see you on that Tuesday night.