KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — More than 100 Outer Banks first responders, law enforcement, leaders and community members walked to honor and remember all the lives lost on September 11, 2001. Thursday morning, they walked from Dare County EMS Station One to the Wright Brothers National Memorial and back.
"The event is to remember the victims that were lost during 9/11. The day that changed everything," said Lee Goldman, the organizer of the event.
Along the way was a sea of planted American Flags and cars driving by honking their horns in support on the route. It's a special day of remembrance across the country.
Goldman was at Ground Zero 24 years ago.
"I was originally working at my normal job, Nassau County Police Department, and then got activated by FEMA. I was logistics chief for New York to Disaster Medical Assistance Team, and then had to leave the one job to become the logistics chief and organize my team to get up to Ground Zero," said Goldman.
Goldman started this annual walk with the hope that people would never forget the men and women we lost that day.
"I just don't want people to forget this. Over time, we tend to forget. One of the coolest things is when we do walk down the main road are all the people that are honking the horn, remembering the event on that day. It brings awareness to something that, for the most part, would get forgotten about in history," said Goldman.
Goldman is also hoping to raise awareness for the men and women who answered the call that day, encouraging everyone to always support them.
"Unfortunately, every year you see another person that was there, passes due to illnesses. This is something that we have to keep in mind. Maybe they didn't die on 9/11, but the effects ripple over all the years, and we need to take care of those people that were there that day to help others," said Goldman.
Goldman named some of the charities that we as Americans can contribute to in support: Tunnels to Towers, Leary Firefighters Foundation, The Ray Pfeifer Foundation and Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund.
