Thursday, October 1, 2026
Valley Stream will once again honor those who died in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, with its annual memorial ceremony, scheduled for 6 p.m. next Thursday at the 9/11 memorial in Arthur J. Hendrickson Park.
The event, now a longstanding tradition in the village, brings together residents, local organizations and public servants in a solemn tribute to those who died in the attacks and their aftermath.
“As a former educator, it is hard to comprehend that we have students who have now grown into adulthood who weren’t even born on Sept. 11, 2001,” Mayor Edwin Fare wrote in a statement to the Herald. “Yet for so many, it is a day that seems like yesterday, with searing memories of utter horror, devastation and personal loss.
“It is so important that we keep the tradition of remembrance alive, so that future generations will always know what Sept. 11 was and is,” Fare continued. “What it stands for, above all, is honor, respect and resilience. God Bless America, and those innocents who were violently taken from us on that day, and the many more who have succumbed to 9/11 illnesses in all the years that have followed.”
The memorial design features two towers representing the World Trade Center, a beam from the towers rising skyward from ground zero, a pentagon-shaped brass inlay symbolizing the Pentagon and a marker honoring Flight 93, which crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Local scouts have played a role in the ceremony since its inception. Patrick Burke, cubmaster of Cub Scout Pack 367 and committee chair for BSA Troop 116 for boys and BSA Troop 99 for girls, explained that the scouts participate alongside the American Legion and the village color guard. A central part of their role is placing one of three wreaths at the memorial. The other two wreaths are laid by the village trustees and the mayor, and the Valley Stream Fire Department.
“I’m so glad that my scouts are involved in it every year,” Burke said, “and I have little ones, and they might not get the whole thing, but when they’re there, they know it’s important, and they’re quiet and they pay attention. And they might not have every answer, but from the age of 5 until the age of 17, none of them were alive during it, but they all know how important it is, and they all show up, and they want to be there. They want to be a part of it.”
Fire Department Chief Anthony Capone explained that many members of the department took part in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center during and after the attacks, so the ceremony has special significance. Each year, firefighters lay a wreath and salute the memorial.
The department also emphasizes educating younger members about the significance and the ongoing impact of 9/11 on individuals, families and the nation.
”We always need to remember the importance of that day in the innocent lives that were lost,” Capone said. “United we stand, and divided we fall. So … we always emphasize the importance of it. We get our uniforms on, we look squared away and I always emphasize the importance of getting out there, supporting the event and memorializing that day.”
The ceremony will also feature remarks by elected officials and a brief prayer service led by local religious leaders. Over the past 24 years, it has become a unifying event in the village. Burke recalled a year when a Central High School team paused during a practice to honor the occasion, and Capone noted that the ceremony brings together people of all ages, transcending political, racial and cultural differences to foster a shared sense of community and patriotism.
“It needs to be not only in Valley Stream, but New York and the entire country,” Capone said. “Because we were attacked on American soil, and that was a very terrible day, and it’s something that still sticks with us today.”
