I was humbled to volunteer at the 9/11 Memorial on the 20th anniversary this year. My team and I were positioned at Cedar and Greenwich Streets, right across from the FDNY 10 House, a somber yet remarkably rewarding experience. The enduring spirit of the first responder family is always on full-display at that street corner, but especially so on that day.
I spoke with hundreds of people while at my post, checking tickets and directing crowds. Early in the day, however, I was approached by a woman who said she was close friends with 9/11 victim Mike Horrocks. When she mentioned that name, the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
‘Rocks,’ as my family and the rest of our Southeastern Pennsylvania community knew him, was the First Officer on UA Flight 175, the plane that crashed into the South Tower. My father was close with him during their childhoods before reconnecting in college, and our families still cross paths on occasion.
When this stranger and I realized our shared connection, we hugged and celebrated Rocks’ memory. Even though I was too young to know him personally, each time I come down to the Memorial I leave a rose with Rocks so he knows his hometown is thinking about him.
Later in the day, I had the opportunity to attend the Mets/Yankees game at Citi Field. Standing on the field as part of the pre-game tribute, I represented the 9/11 Memorial while holding a massive star with other Visionaries. The National Anthem was sung and chants of “USA!” echoed throughout the stadium. I beamed with pride knowing that this city, this nation, and this generation would never allow the memory of Rocks or the nearly 3,000 others be forgotten.
