Columbus to commemorate 21st anniversary of 9/11 this morning with ceremony

The city of Columbus will commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with a remembrance ceremony on Sept. 11 at Columbus City Hall.

It will begin at 8:40 a.m. and is expected to end around 9 a.m. The community is invited to attend the outdoor ceremony.

A moment of silence will be observed to correspond with the time of the attacks, beginning at 8:46 a.m., the time the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

The ceremony will also include an emergency responder radio dispatch to honor the first responders and citizens that lost their lives following the attacks at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and the passengers and crew of United Airlines flight 93 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives during the attacks and a moment of silence is planned in their memory.

Members of the Columbus Fire and Police Department Color Guard will take part in the ceremony, and brief comments will be made by fire department representatives. The ceremony is expected to last about 30 minutes.

In addition to the Sept. 11 ceremony, the Columbus Fire Department will also host a Versiti Blood Center of Indiana blood drive with a goal of collecting 30 blood products on Sept. 11.

The drive is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. at City Hall, 123 Washington St.

To schedule an appointment for this blood drive, go to scheduling link donate.indiana.versiti.ortg/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/148470.