The exhibit is an 83-foot tractor trailer, which transforms into a 1,100-square-foot exhibit designed to further educate about the events of Sept. 11. The exhibit is accompanied by first responders who lived through that day.
Tunnel to Towers is a nonprofit foundation. It honors the sacrifice of Stephen Siller, a firefighter who gave his life to save others on Sept. 11. The organization also honors military members and first responders who sacrifice for their country through a number of charities and events.
The exhibit’s appearance in Miami County was secured by the county Veterans Services Office. Selena Loyd, county veterans’ services executive director and an Air Force veteran, said she brought the idea to her commission whose members agreed to bring it to the county on the 20th anniversary.
The goal of the exhibit, Loyd said, was to help bring people divided back together.
“Many things have been going on in our country since that event took place,” she said of Sept. 11.
“It was my desire and time to do something to bring attention and awareness that we need to get back together. We have been having too many things that separate us. It is time to focus on unity,” Loyd said.
The mobile exhibit will be open 1-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 10; 1-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11; and 1-7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12. Details on attending the exhibit will be available this week.
A special 9/11 Memorial Service is planned for 7 p.m. Saturday in front of the county Courthouse Plaza.
The mobile exhibit in downtown will be held in addition to a Home Grown Heroes Event , also Friday through Sunday, at the Miami County Fairgrounds, 650 N. County Road 25A, Troy, and a Troops in Town Then & Now Event, also Friday through Sunday, at the Miami Valley Veterans Museum, 2245 S. County Road 25A, Troy.
Admission at the veterans’ museum will be free. The family event will feature a variety of military equipment, re-enactors and living history encampments and military uniforms and artifacts. For additional details and event schedule about the Troops in Town, Then & Now, visit www.miamivalleyvetransmusuem.org or Facebook @ Troops in Town Then & Now or call the museum at 937-332-8852.
At the fairgrounds, visitors will find another series of activities for the weekend including fireworks at 9 p.m. Saturday, family and kids’ activities from 1-7 p.m. Saturday and a veteran’s resource fair from 4-7 p.m. Friday.
The Home Grown Heroes Event is to honor not only first responders and veterans but everyone who got up the day following the 9/11 attacks and moved forward with work and other tasks, said Nick Shellenberger, fair board president. “They were all heroes for continuing to push America on,” he said. “Twenty years later, we are still here even though there was an attack on us.”
Organizers of the events are encouraging those attending to park at the fairgrounds and ride a free shuttle to the Veterans Museum and downtown Troy events. The shuttles will run in a continuous circular route. Parking close to the event sites is very limited.
Foods trucks will be available along with Troy restaurant dining and water will be available for purchase at the 9/11 exhibit site.
A complete schedule of fairgrounds events can be found at https://www.facebook.com/MiamiCountyFair.
More information on the mobile exhibit and other events is available at www.co.miami.oh.us/562
More information on Tunnel to Towers Foundation is available at tunnel2towers.org.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
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