9/11 Memorial, Sept. 4 at Sherwood Island

Weston Today photo

The public is invited by Governor Ned Lamont and Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz to a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony on Thursday, September 4 at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport.

The ceremony, at 5:30 pm, is an annual event to honor and celebrate the lives of those killed in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The names of the 161 victims with ties to Connecticut will be read aloud.

Family members of those who were killed in the attacks will participate, so the state’s official observance is held several days before the actual anniversary to accommodate family and friends who may choose to also attend the annual ceremony on September 11 at the site of the World Trade Center.

On a clear day, from Sherwood Island State Park the Manhattan skyline is visible across Long Island Sound. A memorial at the park contains stones engraved with the names of the people who died in the attacks and had a connection to Connecticut.

In the hours immediately following the attacks in 2001, many gathered at Sherwood Island to observe the smoke and devastation from Lower Manhattan. The Connecticut National Guard set up a staging area at the park to organize the state’s relief efforts for New York City.