DELAWARE - Thursday marks 24 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Local communities on Delmarva are honoring and remembering the 2,996 victims through motorcycle rides on the boardwalk and laps around the racetrack, to service days and vigils.
Dover
The Blood Bank of Delmarva and Dover Motor Speedway will host the 20th annual 9/11 memorial blood drive on Thursday, Sept. 11. For only the third time, registered donors will have the chance to drive on the iconic Monster Mile. Blood donations are critical year-round, and organizers urge eligible donors to participate.
A permanent 9/11 memorial stands outside the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base, featuring two steel pieces from the North Tower, a rock from the Flight 93 crash site, and a block from the Pentagon. The site is open for personal reflection.
Lewes
The Whitford family invites the public to attend their annual Patriot Day of Service at 5 p.m. in Lewes. The event honors the Whitfords’ son, Mark, and all 9/11 victims. Mark was a 9/11 first responder who died in the South Tower. Tours, guest speakers, FDNY members, and Delaware State Police bagpipers are scheduled to attend the memorial, which will be held rain or shine. The event will take place at the home of Roger and Carol Whitford at 17181 Minos Conaway Road.
Millsboro
The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 28 will hold its annual public candlelight ceremony at 6 p.m. on Sept. 11 at the American Legion Post 28 pavilion, 31768 Legion Road.
Ocean View
Beginning at 8:30 a.m., Mason-Dixon Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7234 will host a 9/11 remembrance ceremony. The ceremony will take place in the post parking lot near the gazebo and will include participation by the Post Honor Guard, music by Bernie Busby and an American flag display provided by ProWorks. The event is expected to last less than an hour and is open to all post members and the public. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved indoors.
Ocean City
The town will honor the victims of 9/11 with the "Remembrance Beams of Light" and daily evening memorials. The Ocean City Fire Department will present twin beams of light at the Firefighters Memorial on North Division Street and the Boardwalk at dusk. The display will include the playing of taps and video tributes preceding the morning observance from 8:46 a.m. to 10:28 a.m., followed by a service at noon.
Also in Ocean City, the 23rd annual “Parade of Brothers” motorcycle ride and memorial service will take place. The MD3 Red Knights Motorcycle group will ride down the Boardwalk at 11:30 a.m., followed by a noon memorial service at North Division Street and the Boardwalk. Bagpipes and drums from the Ocean City Fire Department will accompany the riders, who will then embark on a scenic ride through Delmarva, reaching the Roxana Moose Lodge around 1 p.m.
Salisbury
The city of Salisbury will host a remembrance ceremony at 9 a.m. Sept. 11, at Fire Station 16 to honor the victims and heroes of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The event is organized by the Salisbury Fire and Police departments.