Sky diving and high speed drifting are just a couple of exhibitions expected at this weekend’s inaugural “Tribute to America’s Heroes” event in Fort Lauderdale.
"This weekend people can expect to see a celebration of life. A commemoration of the things that have transpired and a re-connection to the community itself," said Stev Stephens with The Human Baton.
Four teams representing law enforcement, the fire department, military and local patriots will participate in a human baton exhibition on Saturday at noon.
Thursday was training day.
"We’ll have the military, the fire department, the police department, the coast guard, training on sky diving. How do I put on a skydive harness. How do I jump in and out of a drift car. How do I navigate a thundercat race boat," said Stephens.
All net proceeds will be distributed by The Veterans Trust to eight local nonprofits. Funds will support critical initiatives in the local community focused on employment, education, and various veteran programs.
Heroes like former NYPD Detective Carlo Fargnoli will be speaking at the event. Fargnoli was one of the hundreds of first responders who searched through the rubble on ground zero. 20 years later those images stay with Fargnoli.
"When I was down there I saw tens of thousands of people running for their lives and I saw hundreds of cops running in. And that’s powerful," said Fargnoli.
Fargnoli now works as a police detective for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. He said he hopes his message will inspire the community to come together during times of need.
"9/11 was a day that our country became a neighborhood and neighborhoods were tight back then and it became that way again," he said.
The “Tribute to America’s Heroes”event is from 12pm to 6pm and will be held at Las Olas Oceanside Park, 3000 East Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316.
There will be several events held across Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Here are a few:
Miami-Dade County:
- On Saturday, Sept. 11, at 8:00 AM, the Coral Gables Fire and Police Department Honor Guard will present the colors, conduct a bell toll and perform taps to honor those who were impacted by the events that took place 20 years ago. The event will be held at Fire Station 1, located at 2151 Salzedo St.
- The city North Miami will hold a memorial ceremony to remember the heroes of 9/11 on the 20th anniversary. The event will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11, at Griffin Park located at Northeast 123rd Street and West Dixie Highway.
Broward County:
- The city of Tamarac will host a “Honk for a Hero” drive-thru tribute at City Hall, 7525 NW 88th Avenue, on Saturday, Sept. 11, at 10:30 a.m. The entire community is invited to this free drive-thru event to honk their vehicle horns in gratitude for the first responders who serve Tamarac.
