As the country marks the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Long Island’s counties, towns, cities and villages are holding ceremonies and memorials to ensure the island never forgets the nearly 3,000 people who were killed that day, a number which includes many Long Island residents.
Town Ceremonies
Hempstead
The Town of Hempstead will hold four 9/11 remembrance ceremonies across the town on Sept. 11, including the island’s largest.
At 7:30 a.m., the town board will hold a memorial ceremony at Town Park Point Lookout to remember those who died during the terrorist attack and after due to illness and those who risked their lives to save others. The town said it is the largest memorial ceremony that will take place on Long Island.
“Nearly a quarter century has gone by since that tragic day, but the passage of time will never truly heal the deep wounds and profound loss felt by the families of the victims of Sept. 11, 2001,” said recently appointed Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti. “We invite all residents to join us on Sept. 11, 2025, to remember and pay tribute to the fallen.”
The town board, local fire departments and the Gregorian Consortium from Kellenberg Memorial High School will be in attendance. Remarks will be made by Rev. Michael Duffy, rector at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre and Senior Rabbi Elie Weinstock of the Jewish Center of Atlantic Beach on Long Island.
The Keynote Speaker of this year’s event will be Bellmore resident and retired FDNY Chief Steve Marsar, a Sept. 11 first responder. Marsar has dedicated a large part of his career to providing mental health and traumatic stress counseling to firefighters across the state, many of whom were first responders on the day of the attack, the town said.
Following the memorial service, attendees are invited to write messages on the town’s remembrance wall and cast white carnations into the Atlantic Ocean in memory of those they lost.
Other Hempstead events include a remembrance ceremony at 6:30 p.m. in Eisenhower Park, followed by a 7 p.m. service at Memorial Park in East Rockaway and an 8 p.m. candlelight memorial at Reese Memorial Park in Malverne.
North Hempstead
North Hempstead will hold their Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony at 8:15 a.m. at Manhasset Valley Park.
Town Clerk Ragini Srivastava will host the memorial event. During the ceremony, the town will introduce a completed memorial which has been stalled for years.
Oyster Bay
An observance at the western waterfront in Oyster Bay’s Theodore Roosevelt Park will be held on Sept. 11 at 6:00 p.m.
State Sen. Jack Martins, state Sen. Carl Marcellino, and the Town of Oyster Bay are leading the event. The Syosset VFW will be in attendance and will lead the Pledge of Allegiance and a color guard.
Attendees are asked to arrive by 5:45 p.m.
City Ceremonies
Glen Cove
The City of Glen Cove is set to gather at Pratt Park, located at 8 Glen Cove Ave., at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 11 to pay tribute to those who died during the attacks, including four Glen Covers.
The city organizes the event, and Mayor Pam Panzenbeck will speak during the ceremony. The city said other elected officials will have the opportunity to speak as well if they are in attendance.
The ceremony will pay a special tribute to four residents who died during the attacks: Edward J. Lehman, Matthew T. McDermott, John F. Puckett, and Joseph J. Zuccala. The city said all four men were civilians and that on the 10th anniversary of the attacks, they were honored with street renamings in the city.
The city said the event will serve “as a moment of reflection, tribute, and unity for our community.”
“We are gathered here today to pay tribute to the thousands of lives lost on 9/11, especially those from our City of Glen Cove. Their memory lives on in our hearts, and we must remember and honor them,” Panzenbeck said.
Village Ceremonies
Carle Place
The Carle Place American Legion will host a service on Thursday, Sept. 11, to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attack on the United States of America.
The service will begin at 11 a.m. at the Carle Place Veterans Memorial Park, located at the corner of Westbury Avenue and Carle Road. During the ceremony, a few speakers will speak, and community members will have an opportunity to say a few words as well.
“It’s something that just has to be done because we can’t ever forget,” Post Commander Al Piscitelli said.
He said that Charles “Chuck” Karen is the lone person from Carle Place who died from the events of Sept. 11. He passed away in 2015 from an illness attributed to being at Ground Zero.
East Williston
A brief, solemn ceremony dedicated to remembering the lives lost on Sept. 11 will take place Thursday night in East Williston.
At 7 p.m. in the village green, directly across from the village hall, East Williston will hold a candlelight vigil for those who died during and after the terrorist attack.
“It’s a simple ceremony, so as not to take away from the reason why we’re there,” said Village Clerk Joanna Palumbo. “We hand out candles to everyone there. It’s really a remembrance.
Mayor Bonnie Parente and another speaker, typically someone connected to the attack, speak at the event. In past years, residents Joe Masters and Kevin Mulrooney, a Sept. 11 first responder, have spoken.
The village is still seeking a speaker for this year.
Floral Park
Floral Park will be marking the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack next Thursday, Sept. 11, with church bells at the exact minute the plane hit the World Trade Center.
“It’s one of those days America can’t forget,” said Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald.
The village will hold a brief, solemn ceremony outside the village hall starting at 8:30 a.m., with bells tolling at 8:46 a.m., the minute the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center, and again at 9:03 a.m., the minute the second plane hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
“It was a horrific day, and I think it’s important for people to remember, you know, how bad it was and how precious life is,” Fitzgerald said. “We need to remember all the people who gave their lives innocently and the people who gave their lives in service of others.”
The ceremony will involve prayers from local religious leaders, songs from the Church of the Holy Spirit in New Hyde Park and a reading of the names of the 11 Floral Park residents lost in the attacks.
Later that day at 6:30 p.m., the Floral Park Fire Department will hold a separate ceremony in remembrance of Keith Fairben, a former firefighter and EMT who died in the Sept. 11 attack.
Fitzgerald encouraged residents to come out to both annual ceremonies.
Hicksville
The Hicksville Fire Department will honor the roughly 20 residents of the community who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with a ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 8.
Karl Schweitzer, the department’s historian and former chief, said that Hicksville held its first remembrance after Sept. 11 in 2004. He said the ceremony has grown each year and that many members of the community come out to support those who lost their lives that day.
“Each year it seems that even though we’ve cut back the ceremony, we have more residents,” he said.
Schweitzer said the memorial service is typically held on the Sunday before Sept. 11, and the department tries not to interfere with people’s commitments on that day.
The ceremony will start at 10 a.m. with a presentation of colors under the American flag detail by the department’s Hook and Ladder apparatus. It will feature remembrances and prayers offered for those who died by Father Christopher Sullivan. The ceremony generally lasts about 45 minutes, and the department will feature a special remembrance in memory of Hicksville residents who died.
“We remember, and we will never forget, the nearly 3,000 lives taken from us that day and the thousands of lives since 9/11, due to illnesses that were a result of that fateful day,” Chief Joseph DiFronzo said.
Mineola
Mineola will be marking the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack with an evening ceremony next Thursday in the village’s Memorial Park at 7 p.m.
“It’s a brief but important ceremony,” Mayor Paul Pereira said. “For those of us who are of a certain age, it feels like it happened yesterday…We still have people walking around our village and our country who have the physical and emotional scars from that day. I think it’s important that a society celebrates our great accomplishments, but also remembers our largest tragedies.”
He and keynote speaker Mineola Fire Department Lieutenant Robert Connolly said they found continuing to remember the attack critical as the 24th anniversary approaches.
“It’s so important for those of us who were alive and witnessed the event firsthand to share how impactful it was and how it continues to impact our world,” said Connolly, a Mineola resident who lost three friends in the attack.
Pereira said he believes Connolly is a fitting speaker. He was personally impacted by the tragedy, is currently the commanding officer of Homeland Security for the Nassau County Police Department and actively works to prevent similar attacks.
As a history teacher, Pereira finds learning from those with firsthand experience is important for the younger generation who weren’t alive when the attack occurred.
“The accepted general idea is that a generation is about 25 years. We’re basically there,” said Pereira. “So, we have an entire generation who, for them, 9/11 may as well be Pearl Harbor. It may as well be the assassination of JFK. It’s something that you just read about.”
“I think it’s important to keep it in the forefront of people’s minds: not just the tragedy of the day, but also all the patriotism and love and support and sense of community that came after 9/11,” the mayor continued. “It was certainly the darkest day in my lifetime as an American citizen, but what happened after that is also one of the proudest times of my life as an American citizen,” he continued.
Connolly said he plans to use his speech to honor New York Courts officers who died in the attack, a group of people he believes frequently go unrecognized for their service and sacrifice that day.
“There were thousands of people, both civilians and those in uniform, who tragically lost their lives that day,” Connolly said. “Oftentimes, we appropriately remember the firefighters and police officers who saved lives that day. But we may not recognize the court officers who responded and saved countless lives that morning.”
The memorial is expected to last about an hour.
New Hyde Park
Unlike other villages, New Hyde Park is commemorating the Sept. 11 terrorist attack a few days early, on Sunday, Sept. 7.
The Church of the Holy Spirit will hold a special mass at 11:30 a.m. to remember those lost, and the village’s fire department will hold a ceremony at 1:30 p.m. at the firehouse.
Mayor Christopher Devane said the village attends both annual remembrances.
“We go to honor the community, mourn with them, and celebrate their life. We do that in conjunction with the firefighters,” Devane said.
15 New Hyde Park residents lost their lives due to the Sept. 11 attack in the village, according to Devane. 10 lost their lives on the day of the attack and another five died in the following years due to health complications, he said.
“It was such a tragic day, and it affected everybody who was alive during that period of time. Everybody can remember where they were, and even though it’s 24 years later, there are still reverberations,” Devane said. “There were people lost; loved ones, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and we do everything we can to never forget what happened to them. Every story is tragic.”
He said he has researched the lives of those lost in New Hyde Park as extensively as he could.
“There was a young lady whose mother offered to drive her to the train station that morning and told her she loved her. She was living at home with her parents. They never saw her again,” Devane said. “Another man was planning to leave work early that day to go coach his son’s hockey team. He never came home.”
“I think it’s important for each community to remember the people who died who were a part of that community,” Devane continued. “There are 2,700 stories just like this.”
Manorhaven
The Village of Manorhaven will host a Sept. 11 memorial outside village hall on Thursday, Sept. 11, at noon, to remember those who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks and honor those who risked their lives 24 years ago.
“It’s a very sad day in America, and it’s something that will never be forgotten,” said Manorhaven Mayor John Popeleski.
The memorial will include an opening hymn by Michael Tedeschi on the bagpipes, an invocation by Sister Kathy Somerville from Our Lady of Fatima in Port Washington, a rifle salute by members of Port Washington Veterans of Foreign Wars #1819, and a reading of the names by 1st Assistant Fire Chief Patrick Saccoccia and Port Washington Police Chief Robert Del Muro.
“The Port Washington Police District is proud to once again be participating in the 9/11 memorial to honor our fallen brothers and sisters and the thousands of civilians who passed on this tragic day,” said Port Washington Police Chief Robert Del Muro in a statement.
Rabbi Shalom Paltiel from Chabad of Port Washington, state Sen. Jack Martins, state Assembly Member Daniel Norber, County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips, Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, and Town Council Member Mariann Dalimonte will speak at the event.
“It’s hard to believe that 24 years have already come and gone since that infamous day, but we will never forget the horrible events that happened to our country and the impact it had on all of us. We will always honor and remember the selfless heroism and ultimate sacrifices made by our fellow New Yorkers in and out of uniform,” Del Muro said.
Sea Cliff
The Village of Sea Cliff will gather at the village’s memorial clock in front of the Sea Cliff Children’s Library at 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 11, the time at which the first plane was struck 24 years ago.
Resident and former deputy mayor, Phil Como, has organized the remembrance ceremony every single year since 2001, with the exception of last year. He said that the village clock, which was installed in 2001, was made a memorial approximately four weeks after the attacks.
“It’s the same, sad day every year,” he said.
Thomas Jurgens, the son of Sea Cliff resident Joseph Jurgens, was a trained emergency medical technician and volunteer firefighter who responded to and died in the attack.
Como said Mayor Elena Villafane will give a short speech, and local religious leaders will offer prayers. He said resident Cathy Virgilio will also lead the ceremony in a song.
“The important thing is to remember,” he said.
Williston Park
Williston Park Mayor Paul Ehrbar said his village’s Sept. 11 memorial is centered on remembering the 10 lives lost from his community that morning.
“It’s extremely necessary to keep people aware of what happened that day,” Ehrbar said. “We lost a lot of firemen and police. We also lost a lot of civilians, and we’re still losing people, due to what the explosion put in the air.”
Ehrbar said four or five families of those who lost loved ones typically attend to hear the list of names read by Deputy Mayor Kevin Rynne and are always invited to speak.
This year’s remembrance will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Kelleher Field’s 9/11 Memorial Garden. Ehrbar said members of Williston Park’s Fire Department, VFW Post, American Legion, Little League team and Boy and Girl Scouts will be in attendance alongside himself and other elected officials who will give brief speeches of remembrance.
Ehrbar said the village began holding the ceremony in 2008, spurred by then-Deputy Mayor Bill Darmstadt and then-Little League President John Hogan, who still leads the memorial to this day.
Remembering the attack is just as important this year as it was when the village began its memorial, Ehrbar said.
“I think it’s very important that everybody – I don’t care if you’re in New York or whether you’re in California – have services to keep this memory alive,” Ehrbar said.
“To me, it seems like yesterday,” Ehbar continued. “But, there’s a generation growing up who weren’t even born yet. I think it’s critical to let those who weren’t alive, or were very young around then, become aware of it and the depths of the tragedy that it was. People need to never forget.”
The names of those who died in the Sept. 11 attack from Williston Park are Janice Blaney, Michael John Cahill, Kevin Dunn, Robert Thomas Jordan, Peter J. Langone, Joe Maloney, Patrick Joseph McGuire, Peter J. Owens and Donna Ann Wilson.
The event will be held rain or shine.
