How to honor Wisconsin’s 9/11 victims this Patriot Day

🇺🇸 DID YOU KNOW? Wisconsin has a 9/11 Memorial and Education Center honoring the victims, first responders, and the resilience of our communities during and after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, now known as “Patriot Day.”

Located in Kewaskum, Wisconsin, the centerpiece of the Memorial is a 2,200-pound steel beam recovered from the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The beam is raised, pointing southeast toward New York City and held in place by a sculpture that is an abstract representation of the Twin Towers. It’s also anchored to a pentagon-shaped limestone base, a tribute to the Pentagon, which was also attacked on September 11th.

🇺🇸 READ MORE: Wisconsin’s 9/11 Memorial is Giving Local Families Who Lost Children During the Attacks Comfort

At each station, visitors can learn about the timeline of the day–from the flight paths terrorists took to how many first responders rushed on-scene, and the names of the victims killed.

Before you leave, catch the quote engraved along the memorial’s wall, “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.”

🇺🇸 Click here for a virtual tour of Wisconsin’s 9/11 memorial.

A perfect day to visit (or virtually explore) Wisconsin’s 9/11 memorial is on Patriot Day, the official name given to September 11th. Here are a few things you might not know about the rather new national marker:

1. It’s Patriot Day, not Patriot’s Day–which is an entirely separate date.

Patriot Day falls on the anniversary of September 11th, while Patriot’s Day is celebrated on the third Monday of April to commemorate the start of the American Revolution, specifically the battles of Lexington and Concord that were fought near Boston in 1775. Although not a federal holiday, Patriot’s Day is a state holiday in three states: Massachusetts, Maine, and Wisconsin.

2. Patriot Day was almost called something else.

Prior to its passage, lawmakers proposed several other names for the day, including the National Day of Remembrance and the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance. However, those were thought to be too similar to the “National Day of Prayer for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11” President George W. Bush had declared the Friday immediately following the attack.

3. Patriot Day isn’t a federal holiday, but there’s still something you should do.

To commemorate the day, all Americans are encouraged to raise a flag outside their home. All flags on US government buildings around the world are flown at half-staff to honor the victims and their families, and a moment of silence is held at 8:46 a.m. EDT to coincide with the time the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center in 2001.

Patriot Day is also honored as a day of service. Here are some ways you can participate:

💙 AmeriCorps lists volunteer opportunities by ZIP if you enter #911 into their search tool.

💙 911day.org is organizing volunteer projects and packing meals in 10 select cities. They also have a search tool to find volunteer opportunities in communities across the country.

💙 Points of Light provides DIY tool kits and planners to volunteer at home, and their Engage platform lists both virtual and in-person volunteer events.

💙 Youth Service America has a searchable map showing volunteer opportunities, and they offer tool kits to help young people create events in their hometown.

💙 Charities are also collecting money to help the families of the nearly 3,000 victims, as well as the thousands of survivors, who live with life-threatening, 9/11-related illnesses. Click here to donate today.