Thursday, October 1, 2026
In remembrance of the tragic losses suffered by the Freeport community during and after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, the New Visions Elementary School of Discovery and Exploration hosted its Heroes Day celebration. The third and fourth graders of New Visions were joined by village and school district officials, as well as members of the Freeport Fire Department for the morning ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
Over 100 New Vision students lined up at the front of their school building near its peace pole as they took part in ceremonial tributes and listened to the stories and tributes of two former Freeport Fire Department chiefs, Albeiro Gonzalez and Julius Ellison about the many heroes Freeport remembers.
Gonzalez told the students that although he was only around their age in 2001, the sacrifices made by the first responders to the attacks, many of them being Freeport natives who never returned home to the village, inspired him to the point where he wound up now serving as a firefighter in honor of them.
“Today, we don’t talk about the death,” Gonzalez said during the ceremony. “We talk about the good.”
During the conclusion of Gonzalez’s remarks, Ellison and other members of the Freeport Fire Department got to the school after having initially arrived early for the service, but were called away to assist the Baldwin Fire Department with a gas line emergency. The continued service of their department, the New York City Fire Department and other first responders of the surrounding region help communities cope with what Ellison described as “the worst day for the FDNY” and New York.
Ellison took time to name the eight former Freeport firefighters who either lost their lives on the day of the attacks or later succumbed to 9/11-related illnesses.
“Today, and every day, we honor and remember them,” Ellison said. “Remember their incredible bravery, …They showed the true endowment of what it is to be an FDNY firefighter, and I will never forget, and we can never forget.”
During the ceremony, students Chase Douglas, Zane Yu, Chelsea Cox, Scarlett Santos and Nehemiah Garcia served as informal color guards. Cox also read the poem “Everyday Heroes” by Robert Longley, which pays tribute to the many uniformed service members and heroes that our country and communities have had.
To close the program, Freeport Public Schools Superintendent Fia Davis commended the school and the students for the emotional and respectful service, stating, “Thank you for wanting to listen and learn.”
After the Heroes Day ceremony, New Visions Principal Jessica Romero told the Herald that it was important for the school to educate the students about 9/11 and for them to recognize the significance it has had on their community.
“We lost so many lives at this event, and I think it’s really important to make sure our students are educated and understand the tragedy by listening to actual heroes that were present during that day,” Romero said.
Students and other attendees were encouraged to attend the village’s ceremony on South Bayview Avenue later that evening to further their commemorative efforts.
