25 Years: Wethersfield To Mark 9/11 Anniversary, Honor 4 From Town Killed

WETHERSFIELD, CT — Twenty-five years after thousands gathered on the Broad Street Green following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Wethersfield community will return to the site Friday for an anniversary remembrance.

The Richard M. Keane Foundation will hold a free 25th anniversary commemoration from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, on the Broad Street Green in Historic Wethersfield.

The gathering will honor those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, including Wethersfield residents Richard M. “Dick” Keane, Jeffrey Bittner and David Winton, as well as Fred Kuo Jr., whose son, Fred J. Kuo, serves on the Keane Foundation's board.

The event will include presentations by dignitaries and town officials along with performances by community singers.

A Wethersfield student will also take part in the ceremony. The winner of a Sept. 11 writing contest for students in grades four through six, co-sponsored by the Wethersfield Public Library and Keane Foundation, will read the winning essay.

The commemoration recalls an impromptu candlelight vigil held on the Broad Street Green after the 2001 attacks.

More than 5,000 people attended that gathering, according to organizers.

For safety reasons, organizers are asking people attending Friday's event to use a candle-flame image or app on their phones instead of carrying actual candles.

Large sheets signed by thousands of people at the original 2001 vigil will be displayed.

A new canvas will also be available for attendees to sign and leave messages.

The Sept. 11 attacks also led to the creation of the Richard M. Keane Foundation.

The nonprofit later renovated the 9/11 Memorial Sports Center at the Pitkin Community Center and provides after-school enrichment programs for Wethersfield children.

The anniversary event is free and open to the public. There is no rain date.