Employees from companies affected by the attacks of 9/11 came together to remember their friends and colleagues, celebrating the spirit of community on September 26, 2013. 600 volunteers joined the 9/11 Tribute Center, assembling 400 bicycles for children of active military in observance of National 9/11 Day of Service & Remembrance. The special event, held in partnership with the USO, was at the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue. BNY Mellon was the presenting Chief Executive Leadership Sponsor.
This is the fifth consecutive year the 9/11 Tribute Center has held a service event for the National 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance. Jennifer Adams, CEO, said, “Organizing today’s event for a broader range of volunteers, who are survivors and who lost colleagues on September 11, 2001, shares the spirit of remembering 9/11 in a positive way, and allows them to give back to our military and their families.”
Special guests attended, such as Greg Kelly from FOX 5 News, FDNY Commissioner Salvatore Cassano, FDNY Chief of Department Edward Kilduff, and Jay Winuk, the Co-founder of 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. Volunteers from companies affected by 9/11 assembled bikes including BNY Mellon, American Express, AON, Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft, Deutsche Bank, HBO, Marsh & McLennan, Morgan Stanley, Pitta & Giblin LLP, Sandler O’Neill Partners, and Zurich.
“Whether they’re deployed or transitioning back into civilian life, our troops need to know that their families are being taken care of so they can focus on their work at hand. BNY Mellon is committed to supporting both active and returning military personnel and is proud to join with the USO and the 9/11 Tribute Center to give back to local military families,” said Daisey Holmes, Managing Director of Corporate Affairs at BNY Mellon. “The fact that so many of our employees volunteer for this event year after year demonstrates the deep commitment our company has for this cause and how much we appreciate everything our troops do to support our country.”
Army members from Fort Hamilton helped volunteers assemble bikes. Bikes were distributed to military families at Fort Hamilton, NY and to Naval Station Norfolk, VA including families of the crews of the USS NEW YORK and USS ARLINGTON. Both ships were commissioned and named in memory of the attacks of 9/11.