USF Sarasota-Manatee marks 24th anniversary of 9/11 with campus ceremony

SARASOTA — The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus honored the nearly 3,000 lives lost and the bravery of first responders during a Sept. 11 commemorative ceremony marking the 24th anniversary of the attacks.

The observance opened with a 21-gun salute by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and the playing of Taps by the U.S. Marine Corps. Inside the Student Center Ballroom, the remembrance program featured reflections, music, and moments of tribute.

Edward Grayson, former commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation and a 9/11 responder, delivered the keynote address.

“I’ll never forget September 11, 2001 — the emotion and images of that day and the days after will be etched in my mind forever,” Grayson said. “As we gather for this memorial 24 years later, we must honor the victims and brave first responders who perished that day and the scores of responders who have passed due to 9/11-related illnesses since then.”

Carlos Moreira, USF’s director of campus engagement for veteran success and alumni affairs and the ceremony’s organizer, said remembrance remains essential.

“We will never forget the sacrifices made on September 11, 2001, by those who bravely did their duty to try to rescue as many people as they could,” Moreira said. “We also want to honor those who continue to serve and protect us.”

The program included a Color Guard from the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, Tampa; the National Anthem performed by Alexandra Bennettson of Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School; a wreath placement and moment of silence with bell ringing; musical tributes from Braden River Brass, bagpiper Ross Allen, Sergeant Major Enrique E. Alvarez and Saint Stephen’s students; and remarks from Richard Sellwood, SVP/Chief Operating Officer of USF Credit Union, and USF Sarasota-Manatee Interim Regional Chancellor Brett E. Kemker.

“This ceremony is a powerful reminder of the resilience and unity that emerged from one of our nation’s darkest days,” Kemker said. “We gather not only to honor the lives lost, but to recognize the courage of those who responded and the strength of those who continue to serve.”

In the days leading up to the ceremony, volunteers planted 2,997 American flags in the campus courtyard, one for each life lost in the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pa. Volunteers included members of USF’s Office of Veteran Success from all three campuses, the Tidewell Foundation, USF students in the Eileen Hoffman Hafer UMatter Program, and local veterans and first responders.

The flag display and the ceremony served as reminders of the nation’s resilience and enduring spirit of service.