College to hold annual Patriot Day ceremony

Naeem Ahmed, a Tri-County Community College alumnus, examines a piece of the World Trade Center during the college’s 2016 Patriot Day ceremony.

In recognition of the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Tri-County Community College will hold its annual Patriot Day memorial ceremony on Sept. 11 at 9:30 a.m. in front of the McSwain Building flag pole on the main campus.

“Our annual memorial event allows us the opportunity to come together as a college and community to not only pause and reflect on those who lost their lives or were injured on Sept. 1, 2001, but also to recognize the freedoms we all have in this great country,” said Bo Gray, vice president for college and community initiatives.

The college held its first 9/11 remembrance on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2002, and it has been an annual event ever since, Gray said.

The ceremony will feature a display with a recovered piece of steel from the World Trade Center Twin Towers, which was presented to the college to memorialize and honor those who died in the attacks.

“This event is free and open to the public,” Gray said. “On behalf of President Dr. Donna Tipton-Rogers and our board of trustees members, we would also like to invite all local public safety personnel to attend our memorial ceremony.”

The most recent ceremony attracted more than 100 students, faculty, staff and community members to the main campus, where attendees recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the national anthem before observing a moment of silence.

“Because Tri-County Community College trains and prepares public safety professionals and volunteers on an almost-daily basis, I can promise that we will never forget,” Gray said.

For more information regarding the Patriot Day memorial ceremony at Tri-County Community College, call 837-6810.