4 Ways You Can Commemorate 9/11

This year—2020—marks the nineteenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Rather than fading into a distant memory, however, the attacks and the aftermath are still very much present on the minds and in the hearts of those who lived through them.

It is our collective responsibility to remember what happened that day, honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost, and commemorate the brave efforts and sacrifices of first responders and recovery workers.

Here are a few ways you can observe the anniversary of the September 11 attacks today:

Visit a 9/11 memorial. Ground Zero is the most obvious choice, but it isn’t the only one. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum website has a registry map showing the locations of 1,177 memorials all over the world. There may be one closer than you think.

Read about loss prevention’s response to 9/11. Check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of LP Magazine‘s special series on the attacks. Many prominent industry professionals shared their experiences and thoughts about the event.

Talk with a student about the events of that fateful day. As adults, the 9/11 attacks are burned into our collective memory, but many young people born after 2001 know very little about the actual events or the difficult issues surrounding the subject. A young adult novel called Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes has been advocated as a candid yet gentle way to start the conversation with children in upper elementary grades and older.

Find a volunteer opportunity. In 2009, Congress designated September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Pay tribute to the acts of kindness and service of others by performing some good deeds yourself. A simple online search for volunteer opportunities in your area will likely yield a wealth of options.

This post was originally published in 2017 and was updated September 11, 2020.