First Responders Escort 9/11 Beams To Alameda County Fairgrounds

PLEASANTON, CA — A procession of police, firefighters, and military members from across Alameda County traveled along I-580 Thursday for the installation of two beam fragments from the World Trade Centers, which will be on display at the Alameda County Fair to commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

The 29,000-pound beams were owned by the Helm and Davis families in conjunction with Butler Amusements, which owns the Alameda County fair, organizer Liz Rosensky told NBC News.

“These artifacts offer guests a powerful and solemn opportunity to pause, reflect and remember a day that forever changed American history,” Alameda County Fair said in a statement. “The exhibit honors the nearly 3,000 lives lost, the families forever changed and the courage of the firefighters, law enforcement officers, rescue personnel and everyday people who responded with compassion and selflessness in a moment of unimaginable tragedy.”

The exhibit will also feature a Survivor Tree tribute inspired by the Callery pear tree discovered in the rubble of the World Trade Center site. The severely damaged tree was carefully removed, nurtured, and later returned to Ground Zero, where it continues to bloom each spring.

Visitors are invited to share a wish, message, or promise for the future and add it to Survivor Tree tribute.

The beams will be on display at the fair when it opens June 19. The fair will also honor America’s 250th birthday through a number of celebrations, including a special “America 250” exhibit that will contain the beams, and the installation of a 2026 community time capsule.