BRISTOL, Va. – Schools, businesses and communities will hold numerous events, beginning Friday, to mark the 9th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.
Students at Virginia Highlands Community College in Abingdon, Va., will do volunteer work at sites around the Tri-Cities on Friday, which has been designated as “National Day of Service” across the country.
During their volunteer efforts across Southwest Virginia, sponsored by the community college’s Student Government Association, students will do a wide variety of tasks – from helping children recovering from illnesses work with horses in Abingdon and cleaning up Sugar Hollow Park in Bristol, Va., to organizing donated goods in Damascus and helping Adwolfe Volunteer Fire Department staffers in Marion.
Throughout Friday, students also will take part in an American Red Cross blood drive at Abingdon United Methodist Church and encourage other residents to join in. On Saturday, Sept. 11, Virginia Highlands will hold a 7 p.m. candlelight vigil – open to the community – in the campus commons area.
“It’s an opportunity for our students, our college and our community to really recognize all of the sacrifices that were made nine years ago,” Kim Morton, a college spokeswoman, said Wednesday.
Bristol Motor Speedway also will mark Sept. 11 with an extensive range of activities, including a Saturday blood drive, conducted by the Marsh Regional Blood Center, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the speedway’s north-entrance parking lot. Anyone donating blood during the drive will receive a free ticket to the American Freedom Spectacular races that afternoon.
The speedway also will prominently feature as many as 20 fire and other first-responder vehicles during its Saturday pre-race parade, said Kevin Triplett, the speedway’s vice president for public affairs.
BMS also will honor Sullivan Central High School Resource Officer Carolyn Gudger and Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Steve Williams and Patrolman Sam Matney, who heroically responded when a gunman entered the high school Aug. 30. Gudger, Williams and Matney will serve as grand marshal and honorary starters for the American Freedom Spectacular.
“We are devoting the whole day to remembering Sept. 11, and also to recognizing the heroism and sacrifices of all of our safety forces,” Triplett said.
The city of Abingdon will honor the nation’s safety personnel with a Saturday “Red, White and Bluegrass” concert at 5:30 p.m. in the Market Pavilion. Bristol Virginia Utilities and Coca-Cola are among those sponsoring the concert.
The Rev. Barbara Clark of Anderson Street United Methodist Church in Bristol, Tenn., said her congregation will note Sept. 11 – its victims, heroes and others – prayers during its Sunday service.
rbrown@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2512
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