Local events to commemorate 9/11 on 15th anniversary
Several local events are scheduled this weekend to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that killed a total of 2,977 people in New York City, Washington, D.C., and near Shanksville, Pa.
Huntington Beach
The city will premiere its Sept. 11 memorial during a ceremony from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday outside City Hall, 2000 Main St.
The $200,000 monument, whose centerpiece is two 91/2-foot-tall granite pillars paying tribute to the fallen World Trade Center towers in New York, features two pieces of steel from the towers. It sits atop a pentagon with the words “We Will Never Forget” and is accompanied by plaques listing donors and describing what happened that day.
For more information, visit huntingtonbeachca.gov.
Also in Huntington Beach, American Legion Post 133 will hold its Patriot Day memorial event at 6 p.m. at Pier Plaza, 325 Pacific Coast Hwy.
The Huntington Beach police and fire departments will participate in the event, which will include a rifle salute, a flyover and guest speakers.
For more information, call (714) 536-3855.
Newport Beach
A Tunnels to Towers 5K run/walk will begin at 8 a.m. Sunday at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina, 941 N. Bayside Drive.
The event will benefit the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, named after a New York firefighter who died while trying to rescue people from the Twin Towers. Funds raised will support first-responders and wounded combat veterans.
For more information about the event and to sign up, visit t2trun.org.
Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa residents are invited to visit any of the city’s fire stations between 8:45 and 9 a.m. Sunday to listen to a public safety radio broadcast to honor those who died in the attacks.
The Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Department will join law enforcement and emergency response personnel from around Orange County “to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice and to those who put themselves in harm’s way so that others may live,” according to a statement from the city.
Costa Mesa’s fire stations are at 2803 Royal Palm Drive, 800 Baker St., 1865 Park Ave., 2300 Placentia Ave., 2450 Vanguard Way and 3350 Sakioka Drive.
Crystal Cove State Park
The 19th annual Kiwanis Pacific Coast Triathlon and Duathlon on Sunday at Crystal Cove State Park will honor those who lost their lives on 9/11.
Organizers Scott and Kari Davis will present two commemorative medals to the city of Newport Beach during the event to honor the work of local firefighters and the city’s longstanding support of the race. The medals were a gift in 2011 from Washington, D.C., firefighters to the original race directors, Bill Leach and Bob Cuyler.
The event, which begins at 7 a.m., consists of a triathlon — a 750-meter swim, 20K bike ride and 5K run — and a duathlon — a 1.5K run, 20K bike ride and 5K run.
Registration is available Saturday at the Race Expo at Crystal Cove, 8471 Coast Hwy. For more information, visit octriseries.com.
Laguna Beach
The public is invited to join members of Laguna Beach’s police, fire and marine safety departments on Sunday at Heisler Park for a memorial service.
The service, organized by the Orange County Fire Chiefs Assn., will begin at 8:46 a.m. — the time when the first hijacked plane plowed into the World Trade Center — at Laguna’s Sept. 11 memorial sculpture “Semper Memento” by artist Jorg Dubin, according to a news release.
Laguna will join other public safety agencies in Orange County for a moment of silence and reflection.