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Historical Society asking for 9/11 stories PDF Print E-mail
Around Osceola
Wednesday, 21 July 2010 00:00
By Morgan Harvey
Intern
As the ninth anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the Osceola County Historical Society is asking people to tell their stories.
The society is planning its annual 9/11 remembrance program and this year it’s looking for people to discuss their first-hand experiences or other significant stories about that fateful day Sept. 11, 2001.
“What we’re really looking to do is to bring together a few people who really have some unusual, significant stories to share about the 9/11 experience and for a panel discussion and that will be our next 9/11 remembrance program coming up,” Philip Jackson, program coordinator for the Osceola County Historical Society, said.
The Remembrance Ceremony will be Saturday, Sept. 11, at Pioneer Village in Kissimmee. It will include a panel discussion on significant or unusual stories about 9/11. The ceremony and panel discussion are tentatively scheduled for 2 p.m., after which there will be an open floor discussion or question and answer period where the public will be given an opportunity to weigh-in.
“We want the program to be educational and inspirational at the same time also a tribute as well to all of those who did lose their lives in that horrible incident,” Jackson said.
The Historical Society has just begun its search for stories, but has not received anything yet, so the remembrance program may change the schedule for the event.
The Historical Society began holding an annual 9/11 remembrance program last year. At the program, John Martinez, a 9/11 survivor-turned-artist, presented some of his work. A flag retirement ceremony organized by the Boy Scouts also was held an hour before the program as a moment of pause.
“The way it was handled, the recitations that were given as the proceeding moved forward, it was very touching and also very importantly patriotic in regards to this America that we live in,” Jackson said. “So that’s what we did last year for that significant moment that tied into the 9/11 remembrance, so this year we’ll have something else.  I’m not sure what that will be but it will be a significant moment where we give pause.”
Because they have only just begun the search for people with stories, Jackson could not say how much the event may transform over the coming months.
“We don’t have any stories yet so we don’t know what we’re going to get,” Jackson said.
 

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