Remembering 9/11: Ceremonies Planned Across Southwest Suburbs

Communities across the southwest suburbs are planning a number of special events this weekend to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C.

Here's a quick guide to local ceremonies and vigils:

Aurora

The City of Aurora will mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks with a remembrance ceremony to honor families who lost loved ones and acknowledge the bravery of emergency responders during the tragedy. The event will take place at 10 a.m. at the Central Fire Station, 75 N. Broadway, in downtown Aurora. The Aurora Regional Fire Museum will host an open house following the ceremony to showcase a special 9/11 exhibit, “Ground Level: September 11-14.”

A sunrise service will be held at 6:30 a.m. Sunday at Metea Valley High School, 1801 N. Eola Road in Aurora. The event will honor the memory of those who lost their lives that day through prose, song, interpretive dance and patriotic tributes. It will also include a reproduction of a scene from the play New York by David Rimmer.

Bolingbrook

The Knights of Columbus of , 440 E. Briarcliff Road, will be sponsoring a Blue Mass for fallen firefighters and policemen.  The mass will take place at 10 a.m. Sunday.

The annual Pathways Parade will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday at , 365 Raider Way.

Channahon-Minooka

Channahon and Minooka will mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11 with a memorial service at 2 p.m. Sunday in the , 301 S. Wabena Ave. in Minooka.

Darien

Sept. 11 Survivor to Address Darien-Woodridge Fire District

A man who was in the south tower when United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into it and escaped about 15 minutes before the tower collapsed will address the ceremony, which will begin at 8:45 a.m. Sept. 11 at the , 7550 Lyman Avenue in Darien.

During the ceremony, the district will dedicate its 9/11 memorial. At the memorial's center will rest a 3-foot section of steel I-beam pulled from the ruins of the World Trade Center.

Tri-State Fire Protection District will dedicate a memorial centered around an 8-foot I-beam from the World Trade Center wreckage. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. at , 419 Plainfield Rd. in Darien.

The festivities at DarienFest will break for a moment of reflection at 4:30 p.m. Darien VFW Post 2838 and the DuPage County-based, non-governmental Salute the Armed Forces organization will lead the ceremony at the main stage. DarienFest is being held at , which is at the intersection of Clarendon Hills and Plainfield roads.

Joliet

Joliet Junior College will host a memorial ceremony at 8:45 a.m. Friday at its Joliet campus, 1215 Houbolt Road.The memorial will take place at the Alumni Bell Tower on the school's main campus.

Several local fire and police personnel will participate in the outdoor ceremony. After the ceremony and rifle salute, a continental breakfast will be available. A showing of In Memoriam: New York City 9/11/01 will be shown.

Deputy District Chief Paul Martin of the Chicago Fire Department will speak at 9:45 a.m. recounting his experience of working at Ground Zero.

Lemont

Lemont High School, 800 Porter St., will pay tribute to Lemont's police, fire and rescue personnel as well as the victims of 9/11 during its eighth annual Hometown Heroes Night. The event will be held between 6:25 p.m. and 6:40 p.m., prior to the varsity football game.

The Lemont Christian Ministerial Association is hosting a remembrance ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday in the , 16300 Alba St. Lemont Fire Chief Carl Churulo and Police Cmdr. Dan Tully will offer thoughts, while music will be provided by the Southwest Community Concert Band.

Lisle

DuPage County Day of Service and Remembrance

DuPage County will host a day of service and remembrance Sunday in conjunction with Giving DuPage and the Morton Arboretum.

An hour-long observance will be held at 11 a.m. at the Morton Arboretum. You must register to attend at www.dupagedayofremembrance.eventbrite.com.

Naperville

, 1215 Modaff Road in Naperville, will host a 9/11 commemoration at 8:45 a.m. Friday. The church's new Freedom Shrine will be dedicated at 10 a.m.

The Naperville Exchange Club will host its annual tribute to Naperville Police Cmdr. Dan Shanower and the victims of 9/11 with a memorial service at 1 p.m. Sunday. The event will take place at the Cmdr. Shanower Memorial, located behind the , 400 S. Eagle St.

Community members are invited to North Central College at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, for a 9/11 remembrance ceremony. The event will be held at , 171 E. Chicago Ave. in Naperville.

Oswego

 Nearly 3,000 pairs of empty shoes will mark all those that lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. The event begins at 8 a.m. at Route 71 and Washinton Street in downtown Oswego. Volunteers will also read the names of all those that died at a ceremony outside , 5 W. Washington St. for a complete schedule of the day's events.

Plainfield

American Legion Marne Post #13 will conduct a flag dedication ceremony in front of , 15025 S. Illinois St., to honor those fallen on 9/11 as well as those fallen in the war on terror. The event will take place Sunday at 12:45 p.m.

Up until Sunday, local residents can share their memories, reflections and thoughts about 9/11 in the journals on display in the Youth Services department and on the main floor.

Remember the Fallen

Uptown Eatery & Tap, 4822 Caton Farm Road, will hold Remember the Fallen, an event honoring all members of the military that will also serve as a fundraiser for the wife and infant daughter of Plainfield resident and Bolingbrook police officer Sava Basic. The event will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday.

Romeoville

Romeoville Youth Football and Cheerleading will commemorate 9/11 and Patriot Day by inviting servicemen, cadets and veterans to take part in a brief ceremony before the start of the day's first football game at 10:25 a.m. Sunday. The "Touchdown for the Troops" event will also include fundraisers for American Legion Post 52 and a collection for Operation Support Our Troops. The first game begins at 11 a.m., and the last game ends around 7 p.m.

Woodridge

Woodridge 9/11 Anniversary Ceremony

The Woodridge Police Department Honor Guard will host a 9/11 anniversary ceremony in the Towne Center. It will begin at 8:59 a.m. Sept. 11, the time the South Tower collapsed and end at 9:28 a.m., the time the North Tower collapsed.

The memorial will take place in the plaza between the , 3 Plaza Drive, and , 5 Plaza Drive.

Yorkville

A Patriot's Walk will be held at 8:15 a.m. Sunday to honor those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. The walk will begin at , 800 Game Farm Road, and follow the parade route to Towne Square, 301 N. Bridge St. Following the walk, a small ceremony with the mayor, the legion and the Yorkville Boy Scouts Troop 40 will be held.

Memorial Prayer Service for Peace

The Knights of Columbus - God's Divine Mercy Council will host a prayer service in light of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. All police, firefighters and military personnel are encouraged to wear their uniforms.

Newly ordained Deacon Jerry Heitschmidt will lead this ecumenical prayer service, which starts at 9:15 a.m. at

Grace Community Church will host a public worship service commemmorating the terrorist attacks as well as including a "proclamation of the Gospel, praying for peace for our country, asking God for mercy upon America," organizers said. The service starts at 10:30 a.m. at .