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The public is invited to attend Oldsmar’s third annual Service of Remembrance honoring the World Trade Center tragedy of fallen firefighters. The service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 11 at Oldsmar Fire Rescue, 225 Pine Ave. N., Oldsmar.
In 2006, with approximately $50,000 in donations from businesses and citizens, the City of Oldsmar erected a 9-11 monument utilizing a piece of steel girder from the collapsed Twin Towers. A walkway circumventing the monument consists of bricks engraved with the names of the 343 firefighters who lost their lives in the tragedy.
“Citizens from all over the country visit Oldsmar’s 9-11 monument throughout the year. Many are here to witness a friend or loved one’s name etched on a brick of the walkway encircling the monument,” said Oldsmar Fire Rescue Captain Jerry Gabardi.
It was Gabardi’s local Christian band that wrote and recorded Canyon of the Souls in 2001, an emotional musical tribute which ultimately sparked an outpouring of local and national interest. Proceeds from recording sales were donated to construction of a monument.
“It’s a common occurrence that someone lays fresh flowers at the monument,” Gabardi said. “Many have a personal connection to the 9-11 tragedy.”
The Canyon of the Souls recording is posted on the city’s web site www.ci.oldsmar.fl.us.
The public is invited to the Service of Remembrance which includes honor guards from the Fire Rescue Departments of Eastlake, Dunedin, Palm Harbor and Safety Harbor. Speakers, bag pipes, laying of a wreath, bell tolling and a reception are facets of the service. Lowry Park Zoo’s live American bald eagle will be a special guest.
or more information, contact Captain Jerry Gabardi at Oldsmar Fire Rescue at 813-749-1200.
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A scale model of the 9-11 memorial in Oldsmar, which includes a steel beam from the Twin Towers.
