Annual Sept. 11 service at The Rising memorial in Valhalla honors victims and Ground Zero responders
The memorial was dedicated in 2006 on the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11.
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Westchester residents are marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks at The Rising in Valhalla, honoring the victims who died that day and years later due to related illnesses.
The memorial is located at the Kensico Dam Plaza, a spot that County Executive Ken Jenkins says is “the heart of Westchester County.”
“This is so peaceful, and [it is] a place for people to reflect,” he said. “People are very, very happy that there is a place for them to come to… We hear from the family members that they’re very thankful [and] that their county makes sure to recognize and remember [their loved ones].”
The Rising was dedicated in 2006 on the fifth anniversary of 9/11. It features an 80-foot-high, stainless steel open-air sculpture that was created by architect Fredric Schwartz. The families of the victims chose both the location and the design.
Visitors can step inside the sculpture, look through the steel beams and read the stones bearing each victim’s name and a family inscription. That section is called the Circle of Remembrance.
A new section was added five years ago to honor those who died while working at Ground Zero.
More than 100 Westchester residents are remembered through this memorial.
The Rising also includes a beam from the Twin Towers and the Fallen Memorial Walkway, honoring Westchester soldiers and Marines killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
County Executive Jenkins says names continue to be added every year, ensuring we never forget those affected that day and many years after.
“We just added eight names to the 9/11-related illnesses [this year],” he said. “When we look around and see that there are spaces remaining, we know we’re going to add more. People say they don’t want to forget, and say, ‘Never Forget.’ It’s like, ‘Well, this is the way that we [will] never forget.’”
The Westchester County 9/11 memorial service will take place at 2 p.m. on Friday at the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla. All are welcome to attend.
