Dear Absecon Residents,

           I’m writing to invite you to attend Absecon’s annual Absecon 9/11 Ceremonies.  They will both be held at the 9/11 Memorial on Mill Road in Absecon on September 11th.

This year there will be two ceremonies, one for our Attales School Students at 9:30 in the morning.  This ceremony will be a unique opportunity to educate our students about the history of 9/11.  These students were not born then, but the lessons learned on that day are so important for everyone no matter what their age.  The information garnered will drive home many lessons two being that “Freedom is not Free” and “We Must Never Forget”.

The second ceremony will be held at 6:30 for the Absecon Community and those interested in commemorating that horrific day.  Although there are a few benches, people are encouraged to bring their own chair.  The anticipated length of the program is less than an hour.

                The 9/11 monument is near and dear to me, as I was a teacher at the Marsh School on that day and served as a member of the “Founders Committee” along with my mother and many others in our Absecon Community.  The Founder’s Committee headed by Jim Smith, Ed Vincent, and Butch Stewart and many other community members worked tirelessly to create something respectful and thought provoking from that twisted steel secured from the South Tower.   We were all impacted on 9/11 and wanted to make a monument that would remind us of the event and how the world came together in our country’s time of need.

It’s been more than two decades since 9/11 and I still remember it as if it were yesterday.  As a community we need to honor and commemorate the sacrifices made that day by always remembering the heroes, first responders, armed forces, and countless others’ acts of service to defend our nation’s freedom.

Make sure your mark your calendars and attend our ceremony.        

Mayor Kim Horton