- November 2, 2024
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Sunday evening Sarasota City Mayor Willie Shaw addressed guests in a community prayer during the Standing With Our Fallen 9/11 Fifteen Year Commemoration.
In response the crowd echoed “We remember them” throughout the prayer.
Sarasota residents stood to show of solidarity with survivors, first responders and families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks Sunday evening at Patriot Plaza at Sarasota National Cemetery.
Shaw was among the distinguished guests and elected officials part of the ceremony hosted by the Sarasota Ministerial Association.
For the ceremony attendees were asked to “adopt a fallen” from a list of victims of the attacks. The goal was to have each of the 2,977 names represented at the event and make sure they were not forgotten.
Before the start of the ceremony attendees placed a photo of their adopted fallen in a gallery at the edge of the stage. Some adopted complete strangers while others sought out the names of loved ones.
Among them was Diane Combs, who adopted her nephew the late Brad Fetchet. Combs and her husband Tom placed a white carnation into the shape of the American flag before securing Fetchet’s photo to the surrounding board.
“I chose this picture of him because it’s my favorite with his beaming grin,” Diane Combs said.
On the morning of Sept. 11 Fetchet was working as a bond trader on the 89th floor of the South Tower. He was 24-years-old.
“It means a lot for the whole family to feel the presence of everyone here today,” Diana Combs said.