Local first responders will take a role Saturday morning in a Memorial Walk marking the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that killed about 3,000 people.
Of those who perished were 412 firefighters, paramedics and police officers who struggled to save those trapped in the twin towers of the World Trade Center that were hit by hijacked planes. On Saturday, members of the Iola Police Department and Iola Fire Department will read their names in honor of their sacrifice, beginning at 9 a.m.
The public is invited to come walk around the square in honor of the fallen during the event, or simply sit in lawn chairs as the names are read.
This is not a “fun run,” stressed organizer Deb Greenwall, but a somber occasion to mark a somber event.
In her role with the Iola Reads Committee, Greenwall has been instrumental in promoting the book, “The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland,” by Jim Defede.
Lanyards are also available that individually recognize each of the 412 fallen. The lanyards are available at the Iola Public Library, at school libraries or at the event.
