COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — Numerous cities throughout the Coachella Valley will honor the fallen first responders and innocent lives lost during the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, with ceremonies and other commemorative events on Friday.
In Cathedral City, the fire department and EMS will host a public remembrance ceremony at 8:15 a.m. at Fire Station No. 1, 6895 Buddy Rogers Drive.
The community will hold a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., which marks the moment American Airlines Flight 11 struck the north tower of the World Trade Center, followed by a second moment of silence at 9:03 a.m. for when United Airlines Flight 175 struck the south tower.
"Twenty-five years have passed, and the obligation we carry has not changed," Fire Chief Michael Contreras said in a statement.
Contreras and Mayor Raymond Gregory will deliver remarks during the event.
The Palm Springs Fire Department will host the Never Forget 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at 8:30 a.m. at Fire Station No. 2, located at 300 N. El Cielo Road.
Attendees are encouraged to arrive by 8:15 a.m., and coffee and doughnuts will be available following the ceremony.
In Indio, the city invites local community members to a ceremony at 9 a.m. at Miles Avenue Park, 82540 Miles Ave.
"Twenty-five years later, the memory of September 11 continues to remind us of the lives we lost, and the remarkable courage shown in the face of tragedy," Mayor Elaine Holmes said in a statement.
Following the ceremony, the city will unveil a memorial dedicated to those impacted by Sept. 11. A 12-foot steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center in New York will be at the heart of the memorial, officials said.
Holmes commented on the unveiling of the memorial, saying in part,
"May this memorial serve as a place of reflection, remembrance and learning for generations to come," Holmes said.
The National Hispanic Construction Alliance, Desert Cities Chapter will hold a community event in Desert Hot Springs. The event will feature a moment of silence and a fire truck displaying the American flag at 5:30 p.m. at Casa Blanca restaurant, 66370 Pierson Blvd.
In La Quinta, the city will host a candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. at Civic Center campus, 78495 Calle Tampico.
A total of 2,977 victims lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, according to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
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