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It’s hard to believe it’s September and the 5th Anniversary and VOICES two day event is only a little over a week away.
As you can imagine, our office is busy with last minute preparations for the September 10th Information Forum and September 11th commemorative luncheon. VOICES teddy bears, 9/11 commemorative candles and boxes of quilts, handmade boxes for the children and supplies have taken over our office! Our challenge is to now transport these items to the Marriott Financial Center Hotel in New York City!
On September 10th we will formally announce the collaboration between Voices of September 11th and September’s Mission to launch the 9/11 Living Memorial. This very exciting project will be a permanent digital archive of tributes to those who perished on 9/11, as well as stories from survivors, rescue workers and others impacted by the attacks. We will also collect digital images of artwork, quilts, poems, songs and stories of the individuals who created them. Although this is an overwhelming task, we are look forward to beginning the project with your help. Debbie Westfal, VOICES family liaison will be available at the forum to collect information, scan photos and answer your questions. If you would like to begin the process of creating a tribute page for your loved one bring items such as photos, a copy of their eulogy or program from their memorial service and any other information you would like to include.
At the forum we will also begin creating an “Always Remember” 9/11 banner that will hung each year at our annual commemorative events. We encourage you to bring a photo that can be scanned and transferred onto a cloth that you can personalize. Visit our website for an updated schedule and to register for the September 10th forum and September 11th Commemorative Luncheon.
On the evening of September 11th, VOICES is also encouraging individuals and communities to hold a vigil to remember those who perished. Click here to learn more.
Have a wonderful holiday weekend and we look forward to seeing you next weekend in New York City at the Commemorative events. As always, VOICES is here to support you as the 5th Anniversary nears.
Warm Regards,
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Mary Fetchet
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Help Grow the 9/11 Living Memorial |
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VOICES hopes all of you have had a chance to visit the 9/11 Living Memorial,
a digital archive of tributes to those who perished on 9/11, as well as stories from survivors, rescue workers and others impacted by the attacks. The 9/11 Living Memorial is a growing resource for the community and we need your support to make it the best it can be. Our family liaison Debbie Westfal will have a table at the VOICES Remember and Renew Information Forum on September 10th, where she will collect material to build a personalized archive for your loved one in the Living Memorial. Debbie will have a scanner and digital camera available so your original documents, photographs, and other items can return home with you on the 10th, while the Living Memorial preserves them in cyberspace.
Some items to consider bringing: Photographs, Business Cards, Eulogies, Artwork, Memorial Service Programs, and other types of mementos and artifacts. We encourage you to visit the 9/11 Living Memorial (www.911livingmemorial.org) to familarize yourself with the resource, or submit information online today. There will be a presentation on the 9/11 Living Memorial at VOICES Forum from 10:45 to 12 noon where you can learn more. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this enduring memorial to the lives and stories of 9/11.
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"Friendship Boxes" for VOICES Children |
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Thanks to the generous spirit of the students of Diane Burdnicki from Seattle, Washington, children attending the VOICES Commemorative Events will receive a special gift on the fifth anniversary of 9/11. These "Friendship Boxes" are wooden jewelry-size boxes hand-painted and colorfully decorated in a style unique to the artist; they also contain inspirational messages of good will and contain a small present inside.
Some boxes are decorated for boys, others for girls, and are appropriate for all ages (Parents should be aware of "small parts" used to decorate the boxes). To learn more about these amazing gestures of friendship for the 9/11 Families, please watch a KOMO (Seattle) TV Report (click here) on the young artists and their labor of love. We can't wait to express our thanks to these young friends in person. We know your kids will love the boxes, like this beautiful one decorated with a peacock feather.
On September 10th and 11th, artist friends of VOICES will be creating a new "Always Remember" Quilt with your help. On either day, we ask that you bring a photograph of your loved one that has meaning for you. We will have a scanner available to capture the image to be transferred to the quilt. Family Members will also be able to write messages and decorate the square of the quilt devoted to their loved one. The 9/11 Always Remember Quilt will continue to expand and will be on display at VOICES annual Commemorative Events. Many thanks to Diane Burdnicki and her students, as well as Keith from ArtAID for facilitating the quilt's creation.
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CT Grand Opera Sings at VOICES Luncheon |
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VOICES is pleased to announce that our September 11th Commemorative Luncheon will feature The Connecticut Grand Opera & Orchestra--with General Director Laurence Gilgore, mezzo-soprano Victoria Livengood, tenor Dinyar Vania and mezzo-soprano Caroline Worra--in a musical tribute to honor the families of the victims of 9/11. The artists will perform a selection of songs and operatic arias accompanied by Laurence Gilgore at the piano.
“This will be a wonderful experience for everyone attending the luncheon, especially family members coming directly from Ground Zero,” said Voices Board member Bonnie McEneaney, as quoted in a press release announcing the CGO&O's participation in the VOICES Commemorative Luncheon. More details on the program and artists are available in the release.
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Other Resources and More Information |
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A new feature of the VOICES website spotlights many of the vigils in memory of 9/11 Victims planned for September 10th and 11th. To visit the page, click here. To add your vigil to our listing, please email us. Thanks to your great response, we have also added a number of other remembrance events to our calendar. Please click here to read an extended listing, or a listing by state. We added this wonderful vigil to our listings just today:
Rockland County, NY 9/11 Memorial Ceremony
The County of Rockland invites all Rockland residents to attend a memorial ceremony beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, September 11, 2006 at Haverstraw Bay County Park marking the 5th anniversary of those lost on September 11, 2001.
VOICES of September 11th wants to help you get the word out about memorial events taking place around September 11th this year. If you are planning an event, please email us with the event name, date, location, and contact information as well as a brief description. We are soliciting information on various types of events including: Memorial Foundation fundraisers, community remembrances and memorial dedications, mental health or resiliency support, cultural events, informational meetings, and others as well. A running calendar of events is up on our new website and will continue to be updated. Add your event to our listings today!
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