Memorial and Freedom Run commemorate the lives lost during 9/11

Kennedy Sharp, Reporter

Sept. 11 was the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, which occurred in 2001.

Where the World Trade Center once stood is now a memorial dedicated to the lives lost on September 11, 2001 and February 26,1993.

   
The memorial park surrounds two massive reflecting pools set within the footprints of where the North and South towers once stood. The reflecting pools contain 30-foot waterfalls all along the inside, the largest man-made waterfalls in North America according to the World Trade Center memorial website. Bronze panels edging the memorial pools are inscribed with the names of all the victims killed in both terrorist attacks.

Locally, to honor the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, Bellevue Public Schools held a Freedom Walk at the Lied Activity Center on Sept. 8. This included a one-mile walk around the campus of Bellevue Public Schools and Offutt Air Force Base Lifelong Learning Center.

The Lied Center also held a Freedom Run on Sept. 10 to recognize people risking their lives to protect America. Married couple DJ and Alexis Henshaw, first timers in the Freedom Run, wanted to enjoy the early morning together.

“I wanted to participate in this run to support the troops and I like to run,” DJ Henshaw said.

The Freedom Run was Alexis Henshaw’s first race.

“I wanted to run for a feeling of accomplishment and as a warm up race for The Race For The Cure,” Alexis Henshaw said.

Mother and daughter participants in the race, Mary Loftus and Elizabeth Loftus, were excited to be running the race with each other.

“I wanted to run the race for the enjoyment and accomplishment of it and also to commemorate the anniversary of Sept. 11,” Mary Loftus said.