East Meadow, NY - Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi, joined by Governor George Pataki and Bishop Thomas Murphy, lead a candlelight vigil and memorial ceremony observing the one-year anniversary of the events of September 11th at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow.

"The tragedy of September 11th has left an indelible mark on our county as well as our nation," said County Executive Suozzi. "Many of those who lost their lives were from Nassau, and it is my sincerest hope that this ceremony will lend some solace to the pain we, as a county, still feel today."

Click here to view the County Executive's Remarks
Delivered During the Memorial Ceremony

The ceremony, which took place at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre in Eisenhower Park, featured a selection of religious and spiritual readings as well as musical performances that included an original instrumental piano piece "Reflections" performed by Hayley Kucich, age 16, from Manhasset. In addition to the County Executive, Gov. Pataki and Bishop Murphy, Rabbi Jeffrey Slakin, President of the Long Island Board of Rabbis, delivered the benediction. Speaking on behalf of the families was Janet Wexler-Magee, one of the event's organizers, and a resident of Wantagh whose husband worked on the 88th floor of One World Trade Center.

The County Executive has announced plans for a memorial to be built at Eisenhower Park, which will honor the heroes and victims of the World Trade Center tragedy. Following the ceremony, the County will begin a yearlong fundraising effort to raise money for the design and construction of the memorial. Additionally, the County is sponsoring a design competition for the memorial. Anyone interested is asked to submit a design that will incorporate two steel girders recovered form Ground Zero as well as include the names of those victims from Nassau County that perished in the attacks. The Design will be formally selected by March 1, 2003.

"It is my hope that this memorial will help people to grieve and to make certain that the events of September 11th are always foremost in our thoughts. The design for the memorial that must properly represent a day that will forever be marked as a turning point in American history," said the County Executive.

Anyone interested in donating money or submitting a design may contact:

Nassau County 9/11 Memorial Project
Nassau County Department of Parks & Recreation
Administrative Building, Eisenhower Park
Hempstead Turnpike
East Meadow, NY 11554
(516) 572-0200
E-Mail: NC911MemorialProject@hotmail.com