Hempstead Town Outlines Details On Sept. 11 Memorial Service

LIDO BEACH, NY — As Americans across the country prepare to honor the thousands of lives lost as a result of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Supervisor Don Clavin and the Hempstead Town Board announced today that the Town of Hempstead would be hosting a socially distanced remembrance service at the township’s beachside 9/11 memorial located at Town Park Point Lookout. The 7:30 a.m. sunrise service, taking place on Friday in the shadow of an original 30-foot beam from the wreckage of the Twin Towers, will serve as a tribute to the lives lost on that fateful day 19 years ago.

Clavin also announced that this year’s Hempstead Town 9/11 remembrance will feature a special light tribute, displayed in homage to the Twin Towers, which will be on display (weather permitting) at dusk from Sept. 10 through 13.

“The Town of Hempstead felt the deep, stinging pain of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, with many township residents forced to bury loved ones as a result of those heinous acts carried out against our country,” said Clavin. “While others are deciding to scale back their remembrance services, America’s largest township is moving ahead with a memorial service and special light tribute that will provide residents an opportunity to remember the victims of 9/11 and recommit to our collective national pledge to, ‘never forget.’”

This year’s program will feature a speech by Phil Alvarez, brother of the late NYPD Det. Luis Alvarez, who died after a lengthy battle with a 9/11-related cancer in 2019. Alvarez, of Oceanside, also served as a Marine and spent months at Ground Zero during his time as an NYPD detective. Up until his final days, Alvarez was a staunch advocate for fellow heroes of Sept. 11 as he made his case to federal lawmakers in Washington to renew the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund.

Alvarez’s relentless efforts were successful – just days after his death, Congress ultimately extended the healthcare assistance program to police officers, firefighters and other first responders involved with the 9/11 response. On Friday at Town Park Point Lookout, Phil Alvarez will speak about his brother’s legacy and heroic story that has captured the hearts of Americans across the nation.

Phil Alvarez, a former police officer, has continued his brother’s fight, as a 9/11 outreach and education director for a law firm that specializes in claims for the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund. Through this role, Phil Alvarez assists families who could qualify for benefits related to their service during 9/11 and throughout the recovery.

The town's ceremony will include a diverse array of clergy, fire departments and family members of fallen first responders. The participants will assist in leading the ceremony through the playing of “Amazing Grace” on bagpipes, raising of the colors and the placing of an honorary wreath. The remembrance ceremony will culminate in the symbolic casting of white carnations into the Atlantic Ocean as a tribute to those who perished in the attacks. Attendees will also have the opportunity after the conclusion of the service to view and reflect on the memorial plaques bearing the names of local victims – a list that continues to grow as more first responders fall victim to 9/11 related illnesses.

The town’s Sept. 11 beachside sunrise program will be held at 7:30 a.m. at Town Park Point Lookout, 1300 Lido Blvd. (directly across from the Loop Parkway) on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020.

“The annual pilgrimage on Sept. 11 to this sacred memorial provides a space for reflection to all those affected by the events of that day,” Clavin said. “Year after year, residents return to the beach to reflect and look to the west where the Twin Towers once stood. I invite all residents of America’s largest township to join us for this safe, socially distanced ceremony and to view this year’s special light tribute.”