A charity founded to honor a firefighter who died in the 9/11 attacks will hold a memorial ceremony in New York City for the next month's 19th anniversary of the tragedy so that family members can read the names of victims.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation will hold an alternative event at the same time as National September 11 Memorial & Museum's ceremony at the memorial plaza at the World Trade Center site, WNBC-TV reports. The event will be held at FDNY station just south of the plaza
Foundation officials decided to organize another event after the museum said relatives wouldn't be able to read the names of the nearly 3,000 victims of the attacks at this year's ceremony because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Frank Siller, who founded the charity to honor his firefighter brother, Stephen, said not allowing families to read the names "robs this solemn ceremony of much of its significance."
“We feel as if that’s something that needs to be done, so we are taking on that responsibility,” Siller told WNBC.
While family members will not read the names of victims at the museum's ceremony, the event will have the names recited via a recording.
