Each year, all across the nation, September 11, 2001, is remembered in a variety of solemn ceremonies. And while most people remained glued to their televisions in the days following the attacks, one group represented American resilience more than any other – the police, fire and rescue workers who risked their lives to save people.
Because of their actions, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jefferson Davis Campus will host a First Responders Appreciation Ceremony at 9:11 a.m. on September 11. The event will be held by the campus fountain and will feature music, poetry readings and a speech by Gulfport Police Detective Chris Baker.
“First responders were recognized for the heroes they were in the midst of 9/11,” said LeeAnn Gunn-Rasmussen, one of the event’s coordinators and social studies instructor at the Jefferson Davis Campus. “That sentiment was reconfirmed for Coast residents in the midst of our greatest disaster, Hurricane Katrina. We want to express our continued appreciation to the men and women who risk their lives daily for their communities.”
In conjunction with the event, the Social Studies Department is selling American flags to display at the event for $2 each. All proceeds will benefit the Lt. Rob Curry Memorial Scholarship Fund. The scholarship goes to a Criminal Justice major on campus, and pays tuition and fees for one year.
For more information about the event or about purchasing flags, contact Karla Pope, 228-897-3762, karla.pope@mgccc.edu, or LeeAnn Gunn-Rasmussen, 228-897-3798, leeann.rasmussen@mgccc.edu.
