photo by: Eric Ayres

Members of the Wheeling Fire and Police Honor Guard conduct the presentation of colors to kick off Thursday’s community wide Sept. 11 Service of Remembrance at Heritage Port in Wheeling.

WHEELING — Scores of people from all walks of life gathered Thursday at Heritage Port in Wheeling to remember the events of Sept. 11 on the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that forever changed the nation.

The annual community wide Sept. 11 Service of Remembrance brought law enforcement officials, community leaders, clergy members from several different local churches, first responders and others together to look back on the historic day.

Many years have passed since the tragic event — one that notably helped bring the nation together in its wake. Officials took note of that sense of patriotism and unity that swept the nation as a rallying cry more than two decades ago.

Those in attendance during Thursday’s ceremony on a picture perfect late summer day indicated that there is no better time than now to remember how powerful that unifying strength can resonate through the community.

Rev. Ken Hardway of First Christian Church delivered the invocation, reflecting on the beauty of community and its ability to resiliently triumph over evil forces. Thursday’s crowd at Heritage Port exemplified that unifying bond, Hardway said.

“People young and old, black and brown and white, rich and poor, left and right and in between — all gathered in the fellowship of remembrance, buoyed by the audacity of hope, girded by the conviction to work together for a better day,” he noted.

Wheeling Vice Mayor Jerry Sklavounakis commented that the sky on that day 24 years ago was much like the sky that welcomed those in attendance and the remembrance ceremony on Thursday — clear and blue. While people associate Sept. 11 with terrorism and the tragic loss of innocent lives, people have also come to reflect on the wave of patriotism that followed, the heroic actions of first responders, the dedicated workers who toiled at Ground Zero for months after the tragedy and the military personnel who fought overseas to fight terrorism and defend freedom.

“We stood united as Americans,” Sklavounakis said. “Perhaps in 2025, when we see so much division, we can take a lesson from that time. United we stood, and united we must stand together.”

photo by: Eric Ayres

Madison Elementary School students lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance during the ceremony.

Pastor Chris Figaretti of Newbridge Church offered a prayer for the U.S. military personnel.

“I pray that you remind them of the noble cause they fight for — freedom,” Figaretti said, asserting that freedom of speech and freedom of religion continue to face attacks. “We, the people they serve, are grateful indeed.”

Figaretti said forces of evil “always rail against freedom,” noting that terrorists did so on Sept. 11, 2021, and did so this week with the assassination of young conservative leader Charlie Kirk in an apparent attack on freedom of speech and freedom of religion. He prayed that the U.S. military stands strong to continue defending those freedoms, even in the face of those who may disagree.

Former Wheeling Mayor Nick Sparachane was in office in 2001 when the terrorist attacks occurred.

“My daughter, Robin, was at NYU that day. She was a student there,” Sparachane said, noting that it was a scary and chaotic situation while the events were unfolding. “It was a day we all remember.”

Subsequently, Sparachane said he and his wife came to New York and met with 22 young people from the Ohio Valley who were attending school at various colleges and universities that day. They treated them to lunch, took them gift bags of things from the valley and just spent time with them following such a dark chapter in American history that hit too close to home for many local families.

“Keep in mind, when we flew up there, we could still see the smoke in the skies,” he said. “The kids were scared and we were scared. But it was an honor to have 22 Valley people together that day. It was just a wonderful day. We gave them a key to the city. We had the best day.”

Leaders from several different local churches offered prayers related to the Sept. 11 tragedy and to those who helped the nation heal and move forward. The Rev. Devin Ames of First English Lutheran Church offered a prayer for first responders, the Rev. Nancy Woodworth-Hill of Lawrencefield Parish Church delivered a prayer for the nation, Father Pen Manikyalarao of the Cathedral of St. Joseph offered a prayer for Peace and the Rev. Erica Harley of Vance Memorial Presbyterian Church offered a prayer for victims of terror and defenders of freedom.

Members of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra’s Brass Quintet performed the National Anthem and “God Bless America.” And fifth grade students from Madison Elementary School led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance after students Kailey Brown and Ashtynn Ryder spoke before the audience to break down the meaning of the Pledge.

Rabbi Joshua Lief of Temple Shalom, who has helped organize the annual Sept. 11 Service of Remembrance, served as emcee of the event and delivered the benediction.

“Friends, neighbors and strangers — people with whom we agree and people with whom we may disagree — standing shoulder to shoulder as one community,” Lief said. “E pluribus unum — our nation’s motto declares. Out of the many comes one. All too often, we are consumed by the desire to assert our rights or to deny someone else’s rights, or to demand that we be acclaimed as being right … instead of spending our lives doing what we know is right: defending our neighbors and building a better world for all with whom we share it.

“That very idea of America was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. Sadly it remains still under threat to this very day. But here we stand. Proud to be neighbors. Proud to be one community. Proud to be Americans.”